Between Fidel Castro and You
by Calais
Summary: A fantastic, lovely story with modern twist. An unwilling Elizabeth the teacher and Darcy the shipping heir meet...will they ever get over their pride? Probably not. ....Must review.
1. Better then Disney World

"_I could easily forgive _his_ pride, if he had not mortified _mine_." (chapter 5, P&P)_

Chapter One- Better Than Disney World

Here is the worst love story in history. Barely romantic and featuring two antagonists that are both so equally flawed, they almost don't even end up together. You might even question if they should have ended up together. But, here it is.

There were more than a trillion things to do today and Elizabeth had only done one. But oh man, she was hungry. Passing by a twenty Starbucks, she craved for a hot chocolate and a scone. Well, maybe something icy. Do they have sandwiches at Starbucks? She thought they did. Or maybe that was another coffee shop. There were a million coffee shops in Philadelphia. Half of them were Starbucks.

She knew. She had probably been to all of them. Gallons of caffeine were used to keep her rolling through six long hour periods with the brattiest kids known to man. She was on her second year of teaching high school and her first year of obtaining her doctorate. This was her first real day off in months and she was filling it with the weight of errands.

She looked into the window of a random coffee shop. There were sandwiches and scones. Hopefully chocolate chip. Already she was drooling. Then some Italian syrups. Yes. Then there was the guy lounging on the little café chair. A man. There were so few true men around. She sighed. He was reading a book. Love in the Time of Cholera. She sighed again. Unrequited love. His hand drifted by the corner of the page, his other hand supported his oh so strong jaw, covered with light stubble. There was something so familiar about him turning that page so gently. And his hair- all dark and…chocolaty. Chocolaty? She _was_ hungry. And now she seemed to be getting desperate. Relationship free since graduation, Elizabeth could now be declared celibate. She rolled her eyes. Now she was fantasying about strangers. She went to get that scone.

She ordered an Italian soda and a scone, of course, a scone. Paying for it, she turned around right into the chest of the man. The cup crushed against him spilling the frothy white soda all over his shirt and his shoes and the floor.

"Oh, no! I am so sorry. Completely sorry. I can't believe I just did that…I wasn't paying attention…I just…I'm sorry?" she finished meekly. Oh no, I just spilled Italian soda on my future husband. Elizabeth! She scolded herself, he is not your future anything, especially now that you spilled soda all over him.

He looked down at her, scowling. Scowling? Was he actually scowling? Who scowls? Her regret was quickly dissolving into frustration.

"I'm sure you're very sorry. You're all very sorry. But now I have to go to the cleaners. Excuse me." He left in a couple of long strides. Long strides, long legs. There was something about long legs that just did something for her. But what a jerk. How about some manners, some proper humanity? Like he has never spilled anything? I'm sure he is so perfect, Elizabeth scowled to herself. And since when wasn't she an individual? You're all. Please. Well, that was a lost cause, even when she spilled something on him, she barely registered on his radar.

Her cell phone vibrated. She had left a memo to herself…oh yes, lunch with Jane.

………………..

"Jane! Dr. Jane! Over here!" Jane blushed and moved towards the table Elizabeth was sitting at. Leggy, blonde, fair, beautiful, Jane was every woman's worst nightmare. She was, however, the kindest person Elizabeth had ever met and thus she was incapable of not keeping Jane as her most dear friend.

They had been roommates since freshman year at Boston U. Bound together by bad frat parties, bad guys, and bad food they remained close friends. Living with Jane was so easy and rent was so high they also remained roommates. To this date they had shared five different apartments. However, with Elizabeth's work and class schedule and Jane's hours at the clinic, they barely saw one another. So it was not a joke when Jane felt the need to hug Elizabeth and cry 'I haven't seen you in so long!'

"I know, I miss you. But, seriously, when's the last time we actually been able to chat. Well, besides, the groggy 'morning' I croak to you?"

"It's been at least a week. Because, Elizabeth, I have to tell you. This has been the happiest week of my life and I'm sure I have yet to tell you that."

"Wait. Wait. Happier than your week in Disney World? Because I'm pretty sure you've always said that was your happiest week,"

"That is second now." She paused as if to think and smiled wide. "This one is definitely the first"

"So what's so happy about this week?"

"Charles…Charlie"

"A boy? Is he a vet?"

"No, he doesn't work at the clinic. He's…well, I'm not sure what he does. Business, I think."

"You spent the happiest week of your life with this guy and you don't know what he does? Sounds kind of skankish…kind of Pretty Woman-esque. I can always lend you money Jane, if you're that hard pressed."

"No, no, no. It's just that we have so much to talk about. We never did the basics"

"Do you know his last name, at least? Where did you meet?"

"We met at the clinic. He brought his dog in. No, actually it was his friend's dog."

"Are you allowed to date a client, Jane? This is scandalous," Elizabeth joked.

"Oh, Elizabeth. No, he was at the hospital and we just bumped in to each other. It was like…"

"Magic?" Elizabeth chimed.

Jane smiled warmly. "It felt familiar." She looked away and glanced around the room. "Now you will make fun of me."

"Jane! I'm shocked. I will not make fun of you. I would never make fun of true love." Elizabeth teased.

Jane picked up her water and blushed and sipped. She glowed. She looked truly happy.

"So what about you, Lizzy, is love around your corner?"

Elizabeth let out a loud laugh. "Not in the near future. I'm swamped with classes. High school and doctoral. Plus, most of the men I meet are either 16 or aging math teachers. You know, the kind that spit when the explain Pythagoras' theorem. I guess that can be kind of a turn on."

"Don't act like you don't love the old guys, Lizzy. I remember your secret crush on our American Civ professor,"

"Dr. Hershburger? Oh, yeah, he was a total babe. And he memorized all of 'Song of Myself', which for a normal human is impossible. Total babe."

"Lizzy, he was like, sixty."

"So is Georgio Armani. And, come on, Armani is a fox."

"I think I'm done with this conversation."

Elizabeth laughed and remembered something, "I did bump into this really nice looking, not old guy today."

"You did? Did you get his number?"

Elizabeth gave her a look, "Do you really except me to say yes to that question? No, I didn't even talk to him."

"Oh."

"Well, besides pleas of forgiveness. I spilled my drink on him."

"What did he say?"

"He yelled at me! And then stormed out. I think he has anger issues. But…" Jane looked at her to go on, "He was so cute. I mean like…handsome or something…" Elizabeth trailed off remembering him turning the page with his strong, tanned, gentle hands.

"Maybe you two will meet again. How romantic."

"And then what? He will be all easy-going and charming all of the sudden? No man, this guy was a jerk. But…oh, man, so good-looking. I almost thought to go and talk to him. I mean introduce myself."

Jane opened her eyes in exaggerated surprise, "You did? I'm all astonishment."

"No kidding."

"Hmm," Jane smiled widely, "Oh, before I forget. I want you to have dinner with me and Charlie tonight. It's important to me that you meet him because I know you, and I know right now that you are skeptical."

"What I am not skeptical."

Jane looked at her.

"Okay. So I want to meet him."

"Okay, tonight. I forget the restaurant, so I'll call you later. Oh and his friend is coming. He just moved here from Manhattan." Elizabeth looked up from her food. "Don't make that face. He's nice."

"You've haven't even met him. He could be a self-absorbed Manhattanite."

"If he is a friend of Charlie's I'm sure he's not. Plus, you have an unreasonable prejudice against people from Manhattan. I bet he's a lovely person."

"Oh, I bet."

She did go, against her will and better judgment, but she went. With this in mind, she was on the defensive and Jane could have told her that if she didn't relax, she wouldn't give these people a fair trial. But Jane was too entertained by Charlie to notice and, thus, Elizabeth's demeanor was rather haughty.


	2. Shooting up herione

"_She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men." (Chapter 3)_

Chapter Two- Shooting Up Heroine

That night Elizabeth met Charlie. He met Jane and her at their apartment. He had wild red hair and a wide, friendly smile. He gave her hug. Elizabeth gave Jane a quick thumbs up.

"Oh, I'm a psychologist…I guess a therapist. Children's therapist. Jane said she

told you she didn't know what I did and I felt so guilty! So…yeah, children's therapist," he smiled widely, "I'm glad that's cleared up."

Elizabeth smiled, "No worries. It's nice to meet you. So is that you natural hair color?"

"Lizzy!" Jane rolled her eyes, "Don't mind her, Charlie, she has tourettes. Or some kind of brain/mouth disorder."

"Hey!"

Charlie just laughed, "No, this isn't my natural hair color."

Jane looked up sharply at him, "It isn't?"

"Oh, no. I go to the salon once a week to get this perfect, carrot-like color."

Elizabeth, laughed, she knew right away he was joking. If she had a talent, it was spotting a joke. Or sarcasm. "I just knew that a color like that could not be natural.

"Careful, Lizzy, you don't want me crying myself to sleep tonight."

"Hey, I said it was nice to meet you, isn't that a complement enough for one night?"

Jane spoke up, "That's why Charlie likes me, I give him too many complements. He has a very large ego that needs to be filled constantly."

"Oh, yes, before Jane there were endless nights of sob filled slumbers. You see Lizzy, I'm a very needy, attention-starved individual. I hope this all making a very good impression on you."

"Jane must have told you my fondness for the needy and attention-starved. She really wants you to be on my good side."

Jane laughed, "I did no such thing. But we have to go, guys. I think we were supposed to be there at eight."

"Good, I'm starving" Elizabeth said and left to get her purse.

Charlie waited until she was out of ear shot. "I hope she is this fun at dinner. Darcy has been cranky lately. Probably because of the move. And I'm sure he's not loving living with my sister right now."

"She's always a good time. If he doesn't like her, then I'm going to have a hard time liking him."

"Well, go easy on him."

Elizabeth came back, "We out, I'm ready."

……………………

"If I knew we were going to park so far away, I would have worn sneakers," Elizabeth whined, trudging down the sidewalk.

"Don't complain. We only parked three blocks from the restaurant." Jane said in a motherly tone.

"Yes, Elizabeth, don't complain," Charlie quipped.

"Sorry Dad."

"Look here it is." Elizabeth, Jane, and Charlie stopped outside a white, circular building with a long line of people waiting outside. "Don't worry about this," Charlie waved towards the line and led them to the hostess, "Charles Bingley, we're with the Darcy Party."

"I didn't know we were going to a club," hissed Elizabeth as they walked inside.

"Wait here, I'll go find them," Charlie scampered away.

Jane looked at her bambi-eyed, "I wasn't exactly sure where we were going. This is like a restaurant slash club. I guess it's where all the cool people hang out."

Elizabeth laughed, "The cool people? I guess that makes us the loser kids. Maybe I should go back to hanging out at the laundromat."

Charlie approached them. "I found them. In the corner booth table." He pointed to a white booth with a clear top and taking Jane's hand, he started snaking his way over.

Charlie turned around, "Now, Elizabeth, don't be nervous."

Elizabeth looked at Jane, "I'm not nervous. Did you tell him I was nervous?

Charlie laughed loudly, "She just told me some of your prejudices. I find that most people's prejudices stem from intimidation."

"I don't know why I never guessed you were in psychology. Cha- business," Jane tossed.

"Well, I am neither nervous nor intimidated. I am perfectly comfortable with meeting new people" They stopped at a table where a woman and man were already waiting. The woman was gorgeous and stylish and more put together than Elizabeth would be if she had week to get ready. She was smiling at them and touching the man's knee.

The man made Elizabeth suck her breath quickly in. Dark hair, square jaw, she could see his long legs folded under the glass table top. It was the coffee shop guy. Cholera guy. She pinched Jane's arm, but Jane was too busy greeting the girl.

"Oh, Carrie, Darcy, this is Elizabeth. She's Jane's roommate. She teaches at the prep school," Charlie introduced her, nudging her into the booth next to Carrie.

Darcy nodded and glanced away. Elizabeth blushed, thinking he might remember her from the coffee shop.

"So, Liz. Is it okay if I call you Liz?" Carrie asked. Elizabeth nodded, it actually wasn't her favorite name but for the sake of making an effort…

"How long have you lived in the city?

"Almost two years in September. But I grew up in the suburbs before college."

Carrie raised her eyebrows, "Oh, where did you go to college?"

"Umm, Boston University for my bachelors. Right now, I'm going to the University of Penn, for my doctorate."

Darcy looked over at her and she blushed, again, "You're going for you PhD?"

She nodded her head.

"Lizzy is very modest about her brain, but she is very smart," Jane smiled.

Elizabeth laughed nervously, "Yes, I have a very smart brain, whether I can use or not is the question."

Carrie lightly laughed, "Well put, Liz," then she seemed to remember something, "Jane's French, Darcy," Darcy just nodded at her. And Carrie smiled syrupy at Jane, "You are a fantastic English-speaker, sweetie, you can barely hear an accent."

Jane smiled and picked up her glass, "I've been in the states for six years now, practice makes perfect, I guess."

Carrie turned back to Darcy, "Remember when we were in Paris together? That was divine. I love Paris, especially with the right company," she rubbed his knee and he shifted a little.

Elizabeth frowned, 'so were they together? They vacationed together? It must be serious, but he didn't seem to be paying attention to her. Man, he was good-looking'. She was embarrassed about how often this thought crossed her mind. Suddenly Darcy was speaking, it was always felt like a sudden thing whenever he joined into the conversation.

"Carrie, I was in Paris on business, I saw you for lunch once. I don't think you could say we were there together. That was a coincidence."

Carrie just shrugged. She seemed to be use to responses like these.

"And you," Elizabeth spoke up, "What do you do?"

Carrie laughed, taking after the manner of bells, with a couple of light ha- has, "Me? I guess you can say that culture is my profession. Yes, I like that, the study of culture."

Charlie rolled his eyes, "What she means is she goes to as many clubs and parties as she can a night."

Carrie gave him a pointed look, "Our parents own hotels, I promote the company. I believe I made it into Vogue last month, not you," then she looked at Elizabeth, "I guess the word for it would be…socialite. I haven't exactly picked a career for myself yet. It hasn't become an issue. Money is the lure for many people to get a job and I haven't found myself needing any," she picked up her glass, a cosmo.

Elizabeth just smiled but wasn't thinking kind thoughts, 'I find that most people who want to do something with their lives do it because they have brain.' If Jane could read her thoughts she would have scolded her, 'She has been very nice this whole evening'. Elizabeth sighed and picked up her drink, an apple martini, wishing for the night to magically fast forward to the part where she was in bed.

There was a lull in the conversation and Liz noticed that Darcy was still looking around the room. She decided to be brave and talk to him, "Do you see anything interesting?"

He turned and looked at her, "Not in particular. This place is crawling with wannabes. I thought you said this was a 'hip' restaurant, Bingley." Elizabeth crinkled her nose, 'wannabes?'

"I saw it in the newspaper, that's what the guy said," Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Wannabes? I don't want to say sound naive, but who do they want to be? It's not like we're LA or even _Manhattan_,you don't usually find too many desperate b-list actors. Philly is a lot more relaxed then your hometown," Elizabeth heard her tone and changed it around a little, "I mean, does it really matter who eats here if the food is good?"

Darcy looked at her and sighed, answering her dryly, "In places like this, the food is usually inconsequential. I find the people who come here are looking to be seen."

Charlie laughed, "Well, except us, right? Darcy! Lighten up."

Elizabeth smiled at Charlie, grateful that there was someone normal at the table. This night could not be any longer. 'Excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom to shoot up some heroine into my eyeballs,' she thought to herself

"What do you teach?"

"English- lit mainly."

Carrie raised her eyebrows, "Neat."

Elizabeth just raised her brows back at her and shrugged.

"I don't think I would have the patience to teach. I mean it's one thing to explain something, but kids learn in so many different ways. And there are the kids that are just plain obnoxious- I know about them. But- they all have their issues. I'm not trying to judge or blame them or anything. It's one thing to talk to kids, and help them out but then on top of that teach them about Emily Dickinson? I don't think I could handle that," he blushed and smiled sheepishly.

"I know what you mean, Charlie. Teaching is a whole different kind of ballpark," Jane added, touching his hand on the table lightly.

"Yes, it takes a special kind of person to teach teenagers poetry," Darcy without any emotion.

A cut or compliment, she couldn't tell, but she felt on her defense the rest of the night, even though comments from Darcy could only be counted on her right hand.

However, her feelings were set most definitely when she overheard Charlie and Darcy talking in low tones after she and Jane had comeback from the bar, "Please, Charlie, I don't need a set up. I already have you're sister trying to put moves on me. I don't need your girlfriend's sister to do the same."

"Oh what are you talking about? You're not even being friendly. I'm sure she has no interest in you whatsoever. She probably thinks you're a jerk." Darcy looked up sharply at him, "Oh, that's got your interest. A pretty girl not liking you."

"Come off it. I have no incentive to be friendly. You know how I am. Anyway, I wouldn't even say she's that pretty. She's not my type. Nothing to tempt me.

"Oh, right. Carrie's your kinda girl.

Darcy just scowled.

Elizabeth slunk off into the bathroom, dragging Jane with her, "Did you hear that? I've never felt so insulted in my life! No, no, I don't feel insulted. I don't even care. Do you want to know why I don't care?" Jane shook her head no. "Because, he's a jerk. I mean he is a _jerk_. So, why should I care about someone's opinion that I don't even care about? Jane, I love you. And I think Bingley is great, but this is the last time I want to ever see his friend Darcy again."

Famous last words.

Here's the thing: how do you keep the paragraphs? It makes me so annoyed not to have paragraph indentations.

Well, there's the second chapter. Don't worry, it will just keep getting better and better. Trust me.


	3. That's amore

"_Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy; for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him! He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great!" (chapter 3)_

Chapter 3- That's Amore

The next weekend Jane was pleading to Elizabeth as she ate a bowl of cereal in front of the t.v. "Come out with us again! Please? Please? Darcy is not that bad, do not give me that look. I know you like Charlie and I and I know you love me! Just one night. I had lunch with Darcy and Charlie just today and he was very sweet."

"Sweet?"

"No really, he's a nice guy. I think he is just shy."

"He is not shy. Stuck up is more like it," she said with a mouth full of cereal.

"Lizzy, he is not. You do not even know him. He could have a social phobia or something."

"If he has a social phobia he would not be out at clubs on a Friday night"

"Give him another chance."

"Jane, you heard what he said about me to Charlie," she took another bite.

"I know…that wasn't nice, but I think he was just having a bad night. And if you think about it he was just saying you weren't his type. You've said that about thousands of guys before, they just didn't overhear it."

"Because I'm classy enough not to let them."

"And sometimes you even change your mind about them."

"Jane, I don't want to. That's it."

"Liiiiiiiizzzyyyyyyyy, please, please, please," Jane pouted, "Please?"

Elizabeth sighed heavily, "Fine."

"Fantastic! Okay, one hour, you have one hour to get ready."

"I'll be ready," she took another bite of cereal.

"We're going to dinner. Stop eating!"

"Is it really dinner? Or like the last place, a club pretending they have dinner for you. Now that I think of it, I never ate, or even saw a waiter," but she obeyed orders and put the bowl down on the coffee table.

"No, don't worry, it's some Italian place."

"Good."

"So go get ready," Jane took her bowl away from her.

"I'm going right now, Jane," Elizabeth whined, drawing out Jane's name.

"And don't go in your room and lounge about until you have five minutes to get ready."

"What- I won't-"

"Give yourself time to get pretty."

"Hey- What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means you can look pretty scruffy, Scrappy"

"You're scrappy, not me," she tossed a pillow at Jane's face and folded her arms, slouching back into the couch.

"Oh, Lizzy" Jane sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around Elizabeth, "I lurve you very much and you are very, very pretty, not scruffy." Jane rubbed the top of her head until her ponytail came undone.

"Thanks for doing my hair, one less thing to worry about"

"Lizzy, go take a shower and wash your hair."

"Jane, I will."

"And curl it a bit."

"Jane. Please, do not tell me you're trying to set me up."

"I'm not, I'm not."

"With who? Darcy? Because you're out of luck, I already over heard Darcy stressing that he does not want to be set up. Especially with me."

"He didn't mean for forever. Just that night."

"Yes, he did, he meant forever. People like that always mean forever. Forever."

"Well, he must have changed his mind then, because he told Charlie that he thought you were interesting."

"Cha- what is interesting? I think Fidel Castro is interesting, but I don't want to be set up with him."

"You weirdo. Go get ready. You're now down to a three minute shower."

…………………………………

Elizabeth sighed with relief, they were at a nice Italian restaurant, stylish but warm. No glass table tops. For this she was glad- she was wearing a loose blue-grey minidress. Jane had convinced her- 'you're going to be thirty in five years and that figure is going to be gone. You're going to wish you would have worn a minidress then.' Elizabeth relented and paired with flats, she didn't feel quite like a lady of the night. (Jane had laughed at this, too- 'Lady of the night? Okay Grandma. Actually, I think my grandma wears minis.').

They were late, thanks to Elizabeth's ten, not three, minute shower, and decided to meet them at the restaurant. When they came towards the table, Darcy rose halfway until they were seated. Something that Elizabeth would have found endearing if there wasn't a frown on his face.

Conversation went on well enough, between Jane, Elizabeth and Charlie, with Darcy sprinkling his own few comments. Sometimes she thought she caught him looking at her out of the corner of her eye, but if he was, he moved his gaze too fast for her to notice. Once she stood up to go to the bathroom, but finished her part in the conversation before going. He was blatantly looking her over then. She could feel his eyes move from her feet to her face. This embarrassed her. She was embarrassed that he was being so obvious, but even more embarrassed that she wanted to know if he liked how she looked. In the end, she was mad at him and annoyed at herself. And that made her dislike him even more.

By dessert, they were all chatting amicably, even Darcy. Well, as amicably as Darcy could be, even with Elizabeth occasionally glowering at him.

"I had a friend growing up, her name was Darcy," Jane offered to the conversation. They were discussing outrageous names when Darcy's own name came up.

"Darcy might be a girl's only name, but it doesn't matter...that's not his real name. It's his last name," Charlie grinned widely as Darcy grimaced at him.

Elizabeth look astounded, "Darcy isn't his first name?" then she looked at Darcy, remembering he was sitting across from her, "Darcy isn't your first name?"

Charlie laughed, "But don't ever call Darcy by his first name, he gets all bent out of shape about it."

"Bingley, why are you even bringing this up?" Darcy seemed annoyed with the whole thing.

"They didn't know Darcy was your last name, you don't think that's weird?"

"No," he answered shortly.

"So, what is you name, Darcy? Come on, share with us," Elizabeth prodded.

Darcy colored a little and then relented, "Fitzwilliam," he mumbled, but Elizabeth heard him.

"Pleased to meet you, Fitzwilliam," Jane laughed. And Darcy actually smirked at her.

He was more friendly towards Jane. He laughed kindly at her jokes. He asked her questions. He smirked at her. This annoyed Elizabeth more than ever. He had no reason not to like her. She had always been perfectly nice. Unless he was holding a grudge from when she spilled stuff on him at the café. But he didn't seem to recognize her when she met him. Then, Elizabeth suddenly made a connection, "Wait. Hold on. Fitzwilliam Darcy? The shipping heir?"

Darcy sighed and replied dryly, "That's me."

"Oh. Well…neat," Elizabeth blushed bright red.

"Yeah, it's pretty neat," he said, slightly sarcastic.

"So are you going into the family business?"

"As of right now I am. I was holding up the New York office, but we're moving the office to Philadelphia. We can do the same work and save more money. Plus, the prestige of having a Manhattan office isn't necessary when the company already is so renowned."

"Right," she replied. 'How can someone be so boring and arrogant at the same time,' she thought, 'I don't care about his stupid business.' Then she reminded herself to grow up.

……………………………….

After dinner, Elizabeth flopped into her bed on top of the covers, kicking her shoes off. Now, that was definitely the last time she went out with Darcy. With his stupid dry comments. And his rude remarks. His hautiness. And his fantastic, tall body. She shook her head. Even though she disliked almost everything about him, she was still so wildly attracted to him. Phermones or hormones or something.

When Elizabeth was little, she used to dream of her future husband, before her feminists phase hit in around puberty. But, when she was twelve and still enamored with the idea of love and living happily ever after, she dreamt about her husband and their house and their future children. How they would go to the zoo together all day long (remember, she was twelve) and then the kids, worn out, would be sleeping in the backseat of the car on the way home, while she rested her head on her husband's shoulder.

During this phase, she also read Little Women and fell completely in love with Laurie. And even though Jo was her most favorite character and Elizabeth swore she was exactly like her in every way, she hated Jo a little, secretly, for saying no to Laurie's proposal. He was so perfect for her, they were so perfect together. They could have played together all day (another twelve year old's perfect desire- playing together all day). Right at the part where Laurie proposed to Jo and Jo turned him down, Elizabeth had stopped reading and had gotten her diary out from the back of her closet, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She pulled out the list of qualities she wanted in her future companion and right at the bottom, in caps, she wrote, 'a Laurie'. And she hoped somewhere there was boy who had written 'a Jo' at the end of his list. But she knew this was impossible, because boys never thought about their future wives or especially wrote lists about them.

As Elizabeth grew up, she never really added to the list again. Now, it was stuck in some old box back home with her old books. She thought less and less about her future husband and more about college and a career. She stopped believing in princes or soul mates. She stopped believing in Lauries.

The next night she and Jane decided to stay in and have a roommate night. Where, they inevitably started talking about Darcy.

"No, seriously, Jane. He's a terrible person," she said struggling to open a package of popcorn.

"Lizzy, that's a bit harsh. He could be a good person with bad socials skill," Jane took the bag away from her, opening it easily and putting into the microwave.

"Bad social skills? He insults everyone he lays his eyes on!" she lowered her voice a bit, "'They're all wannabes', 'she's desperate for attention', 'this waitress should stop chatting and bring the food over'."

"The weird thing is, he's quite nice with Charlie and me. He chats and laughs and smiles, perhaps he has a little crush on you?"

"Crush? Ha. Yes, when I'm interested in someone, I always try to be as rude and unpleasant as possible."

"Well, Charlie said that Darcy has been moody lately. I mean he is living with Charlie, sleeping on the couch, sharing an apartment with Carrie. Who can be quite friendly with him. I mean she-"

"I know what you mean Jane. But, back to Darcy, if he's so uncomfortable sleeping- heaven forbid- on the couch at Charlie's, why doesn't he get a hotel? I'm sure he can afford it. He probably just likes to complain."

"Well, then, you two should be quite comfortable together."

"What does that mean?" she looked over her shoulder, searching for the popcorn bowl.

Jane made a mock-surprised look at her and then smiled, "Lizzy, you know what I mean."

"I'm not a complainer!"

"You can be a whiner," she took the popcorn out of the microwave and poured it into the bowl Elizabeth was holding.

"Like when?"

"Like now," Jane took the bowl from Elizabeth and started eating the popcorn.

"I'm venting, there's a difference."

"Well, you're venting quite a lot for someone that isn't planning on spending any more time with Darcy."

"Well…" Elizabeth trailed off, she was letting Darcy get to her. She had met so many people like him before and had never wasted so much time complaining about it.

"Perhaps, it is the animal attraction between you two?" Jane let her accent come out stronger, sounding all the bit like a sterotypical French bimbo.

"Sorry, Jane, there is no attraction between the two of us. And most definitely not from my side."

"You know that's not true. Admit it, you want him to say," she lowered her voice into a ridiculous baritone, "'You're the only person I can actually stand to be with. Come home with me, woman'."

"Woman? You know I would never date anyone that called me 'woman'."

"Maybe. Or maybe you like the moody, caveman-type guys."

Elizabeth laughed and took the popcorn bowl away from her, "Let's just watch the movie."

In the middle of the movie, during a scene that was getting a little hot and heavy, Jane turned to Elizabeth and whispered, "Do you wish that was you and Darcy?"

Elizabeth ignored her and blushed a bright red.


	4. What a nice body I mean Audi

_"To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding of either." (chapter 10)_

Chapter 4- What a nice body- I mean, Audi

For next couple weeks she didn't see Darcy. She barely saw Jane. She would catch her when she was leaving or just popped in to get some things. Once she went to lunch with Jane and Charlie, Darcy was apparently not invited…or busy. Actually, she didn't even notice his lack of presence. Okay, well, maybe she did… a little. There was no moody guy trying to stare her down and that was nice.

Then a surprise wedding invitation came into the mail. The person it came from made her read three times over, "Charlotte? No way, this is too rich," Elizabeth exclaimed.

Jane came up behind her, "What is it?"

"Do you remember Charlotte Lucas…from our biology class?"

"Oh, yeah. She was funny."

"She's getting married. Guess to who?"

"Who?

"My cousin! Collins! Remember Collins? He was kind of annoying? Kind of weird? Obsessed with the one partner in his law firm?"

"Oh my gosh. She's marrying him? Maybe he's gotten… cooler?" she finished weakly.

"I doubt that," Elizabeth laughed, and read through it again, this time the engagement photo fell out. She nearly died laughing and handed it to Jane.

Jane laughed a little. It wasn't the picture really, they actually looked almost cute. It was just the whole idea of Collins with his arm draped around Charlotte's waist and his head leaning on her shoulder. "He always was a little guy," Jane murmured. This made Elizabeth laugh harder until tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Okay, Lizzy, let's be nice now. It's a cute picture."

Elizabeth tried to control herself, but she found she was unable to stop. Every time she went to say something, she thought about little Collins with his arm around his future- wife's waist, the sun shining down on his little balding head.

"I'm….so…..sorry…Jane," she ran into her bedroom to get away from Jane's glare. She tried to think of things that weren't funny…like her cat that ran away, or her goldfish that died just last week (supposedly from the leftover cous cous she had burnt and fed it) or that time Darcy said…Actually there was an array of things she could have picked but just his face made her stop laughing. She came out of the bedroom.

"All better?" Jane asked, with an eyebrow keenly up.

"Yup. So are we going?"

"Oh, I think we should. It is so romantic. Do you want to be my plus one?"

"Jane, you think everything is romantic. And what about Charlie?

"Oh, right. I'm so used to you as my date to weddings… I can find you a date, a cute one, too," her eyebrows perked up, "Darcy!" then she laughed loudly.

Elizabeth groaned, "That would be your wish. You're probably still hoping we get together."

"Oh, Lizzy, how romantic would that be? The beast and the…beast."

"Very funny. But I'm most definitely the beauty in this situation. He's more a beast then I am on my worst day."

"I'm telling you he a very nice guy."

"I can't believe we're having this conversation again."

"We won't but- he is a good guy" Jane looked at the invitation again, "Oh, wait, they're getting married in North Carolina."

"North Carolina? Why?"

"In Outer Banks. I think that's where Charlotte is from. That's by the beach right? Aww, so cute."

"That is the beach- everyone is having a beach wedding these days. Well, that sucks."

"What?"

"I guess we can't go," Elizabeth shrugged.

"Why?

"Because it's in North Carolina."

"So?"

"It's North Carolina."

"I thought this was your last week of school?"

"Well, I start again in a month, teaching summer school."

"So basically you have month off," Jane gave her a pointed look.

"Yeah, so."

"So, let's go. We can stay overnight and go to the beach all day!"

Elizabeth smiled already persuaded, "I do love the beach and I was good friends with Charlotte sophomore year. Yes, let's go. We need a vacation. And I've been wanting a pet hermit crab."

…..

Three weeks later they were off in a plane to Outer Banks, North Carolina.

Elizabeth had just woken up from a nap, as the drink cart rolled by.

Jane looked at her, "Lizzy, you're awake!"

She stretched, "Yup. How much longer until we're there?" she shifted her legs under her and pulled a sweater on. The air was on ferociously.

"Um twenty minutes, I think," Jane looked at her nervously and turned off the knob pouring out cold air on the overhead, "Listen, I have something to tell you and you can't get mad."

"Jane, I'm not mad that you put on the air."

"No, no. Not that. There's something I haven't told you yet."

Seeing Jane's grave look, Elizabeth's stomach twisted, her minding popping out worst case scenarios. I have a midterm I forgot about. Someone stole the luggage. I didn't pay my tuition.

"You know how Charlie is coming to meet us there later tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Well, and you know how I thought it was a shame he didn't have his own friend to bring along so you and me could play without him and he wouldn't feel left out."

"Yes, Jane, I do know that."

"Well…pleasantly enough, Charlie will have someone to entertain him."

Elizabeth relaxed now and pulled out an Elle, "That's good news, Jane."

"Hmm," Jane thought, choosing her words carefully, "Well, it turns out that the law partner Collins is obsessed with is Catherine De Bourgh…who happens to be Darcy's aunt."

Elizabeth looked up from a bathing suit spread, "Wow, small world." Not realizing any connection, or possibly her subconscious was trying to avoid connecting Jane's statements.

"So apparently, Collins knows Darcy. And you know what a suck up Collins is. Especially to someone like Darcy."

Elizabeth just rolled her eyes in reply.

"Lizzy. I'm trying to tell you something. Collins invited Darcy to the wedding and now that Charlie is going Darcy is going!"

Lizzy looked up sharply from the magazine, "Darcy is going? But Collins is _my _cousin. I don't want him to go," she almost stamped her foot in protest, but decided against it, "Man, every time I think, 'well, I'll never see him again', I do."

Jane looked over at her, slyly, "Kinda like fate, huh?"

"No, kinda like bad karma. I've done something naughty and now I'm getting my dues."

Jane just laughed loudly.

Elizabeth turned back to her magazine, reading about her bathing suit body type, she was a mix of spoon and a ruler. Minutes later she muttered, "Well, at least we'll get to play together, now. No double dates, right?"

Jane just smiled.

The rest of the flight was filled with a discussion of bathing suits.

As they got off the plane and headed to baggage claim, Jane had one more piece of news for Elizabeth.

"Oh, guess what? We don't have to get a taxi to the hotel. More money for cocktails and hermit crabs."

"Why…who's-?" And just then, like a scene from a movie, the crowd parted and right there by baggage claim two was Mr. Darcy. She gave Jane a searing look and then composed herself. She slowed down and let Jane take the lead and Jane greet him, leaving Elizabeth nodding and murmuring a small thank you. When he turned his back, Elizabeth mouthed, 'I can't believe you!'. Jane just mouthed back, 'Get over it' and shrugged. Jane was much more mouthy when she mouthed.

"Here guys, the luggage is coming," Darcy motioned at them to come over.

And as Elizabeth stood behind him (slightly to the right with a distance between them, of course) she couldn't help her eyes to move from the carousel to glance at his broad shoulders in the tee shirt he was wearing. Forest green, mind you, which of course was the color that brought out every amazing thing about him. The blades of his shoulders moved under the tee shirt when he put his hands in his pockets, which looked so incredibly soft, Elizabeth had a keen urge to go over and rub his back a little. Just stroke his back, once or twice, just along the top, just over his shoulders. For second, she forgot why she ever disliked him. She even, for a split second, she berated herself for ever thinking a negative thing about him.

Then he turned around and in a guff, inpatient way said, "Elizabeth, you still don't see your luggage?"

Luggage. She forgot to keep looking. She felt the blood pour into her cheeks. But her embarrassment wasn't about to stop her from being annoyed that he used that tone, "No I still haven't," she said coolly and came closer to the carousel, her bag passed her the next second. As she picked it up she saw Darcy open his mouth to say something but then shut it. Good, she smiled to herself, keep your mouth closed. Thoughts of his soft tee shirt vanished and thoughts of how much she couldn't stand him invaded.

Luckily, Jane took the front seat in Darcy's incredibly clean car. It could have been a rental. There were no signs of personal items or even hint of someone actually ever using the car before that day around. But Jane had said he drove down with his cousin the day before. As for the outside, it was just a black Audi. Simple, but fast, as Darcy was attempting to demonstrate, consciously or not. Elizabeth tightened her seatbelt as he weaved through the cars in his way, clutching a cell phone to his ear. Work, supposedly. She tried to listen a bit, his voice surprisingly calm, listing out directions and orders. For someone who drove like a maniac on his last day of life, he spoke rather calmly.

Here was the clincher: during all this he kept looking back at her in the mirror and if she caught his eyes, he only shrugged and raised his eyebrows, not embarrassed at all.

This agitated her incredibly. What could he possibly be looking at? Maybe her hair did need brushing, but she just got off the plane. She was going start giving him the ol' shrug and see how he liked it.

………………

It's going to pick up, I swear! But, really, Pride and Prejudice isn't the fastest moving novel either. Oh, Jane, but we like your books anyway. Well, just leave a review, if you like. The sad thing is, I'll keep posting even if I get zero. That's how much I love myself. Haha.


	5. Isn't it Romantic?

_"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life." (chapter 6)_

Chapter Five -Isn't Romantic? Love is who we are.

Thanks to Darcy's driving, they were at the hotel twenty seconds later. A rather nice hotel, apparently owned by Charlie's parents. The best part was that the room was free. So even more money for cocktails and hermit crabs. Which Elizabeth was planning on taking full advantage of _without_ Darcy. He was still on his phone, luckily, so she just had to give a little wave and pull Jane to check in.

"I'm staying here tonight. It's probably under…," she looked at Jane.

"Jane Binoche," Jane filled in and then turned to Elizabeth, "You have to be nicer to Darcy. I mean he just picked us up from the airport. He didn't have to do that," Jane said to her in a low voice.

"Me? Nicer? How about him?"

"Lizzy. He has been nice."

"Nice?"

Jane thought a moment. "Neutrally nice at least. He's been on the phone the whole time, he hasn't been able to be anything,"

The check in interrupted their argument, "Here are your key cards. Room 405. Fourth floor. Have a nice stay."

"Oh, I will try," she turned to Jane, "see that's nice. It's about an effort to say 'Have a nice stay', which makes some one nice. You can't be neutrally nice," She turned to the check-in guy, "Do you think it's possible to be neutrally nice?" But Jane just smiled at the man and took Lizzy's elbow to lead her away. And she led her right to Darcy.

And he sort of smiled. Elizabeth thought fleetingly that his sort of smile was sort of cute, but then told herself to focus.

"Well, listen, I've got a conference call coming in ten minutes. I'm going to take it down here. But you'll probably see my cousin, Felix. We're actually in the room next to yours. Across from Bingley's. That's okay, right? Anyway. I have to go," he smiled uncertainly and turned away.

Jane gave Elizabeth a little pinch on her arm. Elizabeth frowned, "Oh. Thanks for the ride, Darcy."

He stopped and turned a little, already on his Blackberry, giving her a little wave and retreated into an empty ballroom.

……..

They finally settled into their room, actually suite, compliments of Netherfield Hotel, compliments of Charles Bingley. Jane turned on the t.v. awhile and Elizabeth went to get ice.

She strolled to the ice machine in the hall corner, next to a man who was trying to fill his bucket with a bottle of gin already in it, but the bottle kept getting in the way. She started to fill up her own ice bucket when she noticed the man staring at her. She looked over, ready to give him the evil eye when he said her name suddenly in a decidedly cute British accent.

"Elizabeth Bennett?"

"Yes," she looked around awkwardly for a second, "And you are…?"

"Right. Sorry," he gave her his hand, "I'm Felix. The English cousin. Darcy's cousin." She looked for any resemblances. The dark hair and olive complexion was about it. But Felix was much darker then Darcy, in a perma-tan sort of way.

"Oh!" she shook his hand," So you've heard about me."

He leaned against the doorway, smiling easily, "Who hasn't?"

Elizabeth giggled (yes, she actually giggled) "Felix? Like the cat?"

"Just like that cat. Except I'm more of the sleek, jungle variety."

"I can tell. Is that a British thing or is that all you?" Elizabeth smiled flirtatiously. Giggling and flirting, what a combination, but she seemed unable to stop herself.

"Oh, most definitely me. But I'm not all stone cold English, my mum is Greek, actually. Your Darcy's dad is my mum brother, which makes us…"

"Cousins," Elizabeth filled in.

"And bloody smart too. Now you and my cousin are you…?" he trailed off, grinning.

"No," she blurted. "I mean we don't know each other very well. He's friends with my roommate Jane's boyfriend."

"Charlie. Right. I know all about it. Darcy filled me in on the details."

"What did he say about me?"

"I'm not going to disclose all of Darcy's gossip. But I do have it on very good authority that you are a very naughty little school teacher. Now you must live up to your reputation or I will be very disappointed."

Then another person loomed in the doorway, clearing their throat.

Felix turned, "Ah, Darcy, there you are. I was just meeting your gorgeous friend, Elizabeth," he turned and winked at her.

Darcy just rolled his eyes, "Great. Let's go then."

"Where?" Elizabeth asked, confused that Darcy had plans to take her anywhere.

"No not you. Felix," he said, almost looking embarrassed.

Felix just rolled his eyes. "Well, then I guess I'm leaving. See you around Miss Elizabeth. Your going to the wedding then?"

"Yes. In," she looked at her watch, "Crap. Two hours. Will you?"

"Oh, no. No idea who the bloke is. But I'll be here tonight. You should pop in."

Darcy cleared his throat again. "Right, I'm coming. See you around, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth just waved as they left. That's it, she thought. He's always trying to avoid me. It's not me. Compared to him, I'm the friendly one. Jane can take all her niceness, she wasn't going to spend all her best energy trying to be friendly anymore. Not when he wasn't making an effort. I'm the friendly one, now. With these thoughts of triumphant, she finished up with the ice and went to go change.

…………..

Jane paced the front of the bathroom. "Elizabeth. Please tell me you are ready to go."

"Jane. I'm American. I can't step out of the shower put on a dress and leave and still look like a human being like you," she called out from inside the bathroom.

"I didn't just step out of the shower, Lizzy. I started getting ready an hour ago. You just don't notice because your too busy watching countdowns on VH1."

"Don't bring the countdowns into this." She came out of the bathroom still in her bra and underwear. Jane scowled and handed her a sheer blue dress, which she had just, so kindly, ironed for her.

"We are officially ten minutes late. To a wedding. Put your dress on, you scamp. We're leaving in five seconds."

Five minutes later they were out the door. Elizabeth still putting on mascara.

They met Bingley by the elevator. He had just flown in a half hour ago and arrived at the hotel ten minutes earlier.

"I wish I was a guy," Elizabeth grumbled smearing on blush. "Actually scratch that. I wish I was a girl that could get ready in time."

"I wish you were too, honey." Jane said sympathetically. But Elizabeth could immediately sense that the sympathy was for herself and not for her. The elevator stopped at a middle floor for more people to get on and the threesome had to scrunch closer together. Jane put smudged some eye shadow across her lids.

"You're a pal. From now on, no more countdowns, only showers. And three minute showers too." She looked into her compact once more, blending all the colors in to her skin. "Done."

"Bingley turned to look at her, "It's a miracle!"

"What? I look this way all the time."

"Except for when we got into the elevator three minuets ago."

"It's not a miracle, it's magic," Jane smiled, The elevator opened and they emerged into the lobby.

Suddenly, Elizabeth was curious, "Where's Darcy?"

Jane gave her a knowing look, which Elizabeth chose to ignore.

"Right outside. He's pulled the car up for us." Bingley answered gesturing to, yes, a black Audi waiting in the circular throughway.

"Of course," Elizabeth said softly and took her seat in the front, next to him.

Halfway there, Elizabeth blurted out, "Do you think she loves him?"

"Who?" Jane asked, mildly alarmed.

"Charlotte. Do you think she loves him? I mean she's just so funny and loud and crazy. And he is…"

"A nerd," Darcy filled in.

Elizabeth looked at him in surprise, "Right."

"They're getting married," Jane stressed.

"So? That doesn't mean anything anymore. It could be a marriage out of convenience. He is at a good firm, he's probably making the bucks," Elizabeth argued.

"So is Charlotte," Jane argued back.

"Well, maybe he has a nice apartment. People will do anything for nice apartment now."

"I think they are in love. The strangest people love each other. Love is blind."

Elizabeth shook her head, "No. Love has its eyes wide open. Check the divorce rate."

Darcy nodded in agreement.

"I think you are just both bitter," Bingley put in, "My parents are complete opposites and they've been together for thirty-six years."

"Yes, but there's a difference between being opposites and being completely wrong together," Darcy stated.

Elizabeth agreed with him, against her will, but she agreed. She settled back into her own thoughts then, thinking about Charlotte and Collins and wondering if she was bitter. 'When did being a realist become bitterness?' she asked herself.

….

The wedding went well. It was beautiful, on the beach at sundown. And Darcy's phone rang only once. But, he did answer it right away and he did whisper. They were in the back row so no could have possibly noticed or cared. Plus, it was windy day on the beach- his voice probably didn't even reach the person sitting to him. Darcy was perfectly comfortable with all of his actions. Elizabeth was not. She could only glower through the entire ceremony from when his cell first went off to when he left to when he came back in. If someone could die from disliking someone, she officially had no pulse. She could only hope that Charlotte didn't notice the jerk in the back who answered his phone.

The reception was lovely though, in ivory and lavender in a sheer tent outside. And Charlotte glowed in her gown. In fact her groom did too. He shined like a light bulb from chin to crown.

"Charlotte!" Elizabeth squealed as she approached her. "Elizabeth, I'm so glad you came! When I got your RSVP I almost wet myself. No really, my sister made me wear Depends from then on," Elizabeth laughed and hugged her.

Stepping away, she asked, "So how did you and Collins ever find each other again?"

"You know it was the weirdest thing. He sent a manuscript to my office- I'm in publishing now- and it wasn't bad, so we arranged a meeting, and here we are. I kept meaning to call you. But things just happened so fast. Oh my gosh, but here comes Kate DeBourgh. She's a trip, but Collins loves her. Or wants her job, is more like it. I'll come over to you during dinner. Maybe we'll have a little dance. That would be fabulous," she hugged Elizabeth again and headed towards an older woman in a black and white tweed Chanel suit. Not exactly wedding attire, but most definitely rich, successful law partner attire. She had heard nightmare stories about DeBourgh, but she had to respect a successful woman. Sisters got to stick together.

She sat down at the table, where she was seated next to Jane and Bingley. Darcy was over by his aunt. Collins came over incessantly by his table to chat. She could see he was annoyed by the whole thing, straining to maintain small talk with someone he clearly didn't want to have small talk with.

The rest of the night, she avoided Darcy and chatted mostly with old friends from college and family she hadn't seen in years. Her own family (well actually, her mother, her father could care less) had severed ties with Collins and his parents over a house twenty years ago. The story, according to her mother, was that her father had put a bid on a great house when Collins's mother had come over to see the house (pre-acceptation of bid) by invitation from Elizabeth's mother, she had also fell in love with it and very deceptively (_rotten witch, _her mother usually input here), called the realtor an hour later and put in a slightly higher bid. Thus, Collins's family got the house and neither mothers have spoken since. All over a house that they never even lived in. Who knows the real story, but that was the version Elizabeth had gotten her whole life.

In an effort not to be like her mother, Elizabeth vowed not to be petty (though one could argue a house isn't a petty thing to argue over, but her mother had the gift to turn any argument into a petty one). She did know her own faults. Her major flaw being her quick judgment. She was quick to judge someone and usually that judgment was wrong. She knew this, yet when the opportunity presented itself to amend this flaw she was too blinded by her first impression to do so. In a moment of self- clarity one night, she had explained this to Jane. 'Well, the important thing is, your opinions aren't set in stone. You can be molded by good things until the bad things you first saw are not a big deal. You give people a second chance- that's your good quality.'

Charlotte came over during dessert and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love that you're here. And Jane too. Should I be expecting an invitation soon?"

Elizabeth looked over at the couple who were pathetically, but sweetly, swaying to a slow song in the sand. "You never know. Jeez, maybe I should start looking for a roommate."

"Or a husband." Charlotte laughed, "No, no, I can't imagine you married."

"What? Why? I want to get married- eventually."

"That's it- the eventually part. It's too planned out- not very romantic."

"I'm romantic. But I'm a realist too. I'm only succumbing to matrimony if I can't live without someone. I want to be truly in love otherwise, I'm convinced it would never work out. I'm too difficult."

"We'll find you someone. Elizabeth," Charlotte grabbed her hands and said as seriously as she could, but she laughed a bit, "I'm sorry I'm a little tipsy. Is that bad to be drunk at your own wedding? Bah, I've only had champagne." Elizabeth laughed and Charlotte started over, "Elizabeth, you will be a very good wife one day. Like a fairy tale or something. I just know I'll envy you. But in a good way- it will be a love hate relationship between us."

Elizabeth laughed, "Hasn't it always been?"

Just then, Collins came behind Charlotte sort of awkwardly, "May I have this dance, my wife?"

Charlotte laughed and turned around, giving him her hands, saying to Elizabeth as they walked away,"I know you won't believe me, but I love this goofy, little guy."

Elizabeth knew, right then, that she did and that became all that mattered.

……

As you can see, I'm jumping around with things and mixing details and sections and locations. It just might get boring if I stuck by the old true blue plot. But, in the end, it will be just the same. 

I'm SO bored this summer, so I'll probably be updating this regularly. And going back to edit things and change things. Comments and reviews would be helpful…like should I have more detail or less detail? Do I drone on anywhere? I would also love to hear how lovely it is. Haha.


	6. Loyal and Trustworthy

"_Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying."_

Chapter 6- Loyal and Trustworthy and All That Rubbish

An hour later, still at the reception, tired and stuffed with cake and champagne, Elizabeth wanted to go home. She couldn't find Jane, though, or Charlie, for that matter. She did see Darcy, sitting at his table alone, playing with a cocktail straw. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and started to walk over. Champagne making her brave.

"Darcy!" She said too loudly. She winced.

He looked up, startled, "Elizabeth."

She shrugged uncomfortably. His soft voice made her lose her nerve to demand a ride home and a search party for Jane. There was long moment before anyone said anything.

Darcy was the first to break the silence, "Let's dance." Not a question or a even a request, just a sure-statement and before her alcohol-induced mind could respond, he was standing up, with his hand on the small of her back, leading her to the dance floor where Bob Marley had magically switched to some syrupy-slow Billy Holiday song. She surrendered and put a hand around his neck as he stood closer to her to grab her waist.

"You've been drinking," he murmured.

Elizabeth shook her head, "Only some champagne. Well, and a pina colada, oh and some beachy cocktail someone gave me."

Darcy only nodded, "Someone? You shouldn't let just anyone get you a drink, they could have put something in it."

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose, "At a wedding? I don't think people bring ruffiees to weddings."

Darcy shrugged, "You should try drinking less."

Elizabeth was at a lost for words and knew she should be beyond annoyed that he would say that to her. But she was slightly drunk and overly tired and all she could do was grumble and lean her body closer to his so he could support her more.

He didn't say anything for the rest of the song and in the end he just took her hand and led her off outside the tent to the beach. If she wouldn't have been so tired she would have said something about him being so presumptuous to lead her anywhere he wanted, and to demand a dance and then that she drink less (she was on vacation!). She would have been angry, but her head was swimming and filled with lead, or alcohol, and for the moment all she felt was his hand over hers.

But in the next moment her head cleared and she yanked it away abruptly. He didn't seem to notice and just put his hands in his pockets. "So are you coming back with me or not?"

"What?"

"To the hotel. I am driving you back, right? Jane and Charlie took a cab or walked back or something- I really wasn't clear about what they were saying."

"Fine," she sighed dramatically.

He only looked at her with her smirk. "My car's this way. Can you make it?"

"Listen, I'm almost sober. I'm not drunk- I'm _tired_."

"Don't worry, I'm not judging."

"Yes you are. Remember two seconds ago- 'you should try drinking less'? You're a judger and you know it. But I'm on vacation. And at the beach. And-" she tripped over her shoes. "Shoot." She bent down to take them off, but Darcy was at her feet first, already slipping one off and handing it to her. She sighed, too exhausted to protest and lifted her other foot slightly off the ground as he took the other shoe off. She took it, mumbling thanks and started walking again.

They drove in silence and didn't talk again until they were in the elevator of the hotel, when Elizabeth felt it impossible not to say what was on her mind.

"You know, I really don't like you."

Darcy just looked at her and she shrugged.

"You do weirdly nice things sometimes, like with the shoes and the airport but 99 of the time, you're pretty much a jerk."

He looked away, with a smirk, "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way."

"I'm not." Elizabeth replied with a frown, he wasn't supposed to be smiling.

The doors opened and they headed towards their respected rooms.

Darcy got out his key card and opened the door. He looked at her as she dug through her purse. "Night, Darcy," she said, without looking up."

"Goodnight, Elizabeth," he replied softly, closing his door.

………………………..

The next day she woke up with Jane in the king size bed next to her.

"Jane! Where were you last night?!"

Jane woke up, startled but then stretched, "Sorry, Lizzy, I was going to sleep on the pull out couch but I couldn't figure out how to open it, so I just came in here."

Elizabeth shook her head, "I don't care about that. No, you left the wedding without telling me! I had to ride home alone with Darcy! All by myself. All by myself!"

"Sorry, I thought I told you I was going to walk back."

"Maybe you did. Walk back? The hotel is like ten miles away."

Jane rolled her eyes, "I know that now. We ended up calling a cab after an hour. Then we decided to get some room service and I fell asleep in his room and woke and came over here."

"Jane, you could have stayed over there."

"Yes, but you would have woke up and wondered where I was. I didn't want you to worry," she smiled, "plus then I wouldn't have awoken to your beautiful face this morning.

"Ugh. I didn't wash my makeup off last night, it's probably all over my face," she went to get up, but Jane suddenly sprang up and raced to the bathroom, "I call bathroom first!" and slammed the door.

"Jaaaaaannne!" she whined and then relented, "Fine. I'll call some breakfast up."

Five minutes later, she was looking for VHI, waiting for breakfast. Finding they actually put the music on in the mornings, she flipped through until she found Saved by the Bell. The original cast of course, when Screech was still a normal kid like everyone else.

There was a knock on the door and she hopped to get it, thinking it was breakfast. It wasn't.

"Darcy?"

"Elizabeth… You look terrible."

Elizabeth groaned, "I forgot to wash my makeup off!"

"Okay. Well, we're going to the beach. Felix, me, and Charlie."

"Why? It's like nine in the morning."

"No, actually it's twelve."

"Oh. Well. Sure. We'll meet you there." And she slammed the door and screamed. "Jane! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!"

Jane came out of the bathroom in her bathing suit. "Who?"

"Darcy. I hate him. I hate him with every fiber of my being."

"Oh."

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to go wash my face. Go over and talk to Charlie, I think they're going to the beach right now." She walked into the bathroom, complaining all the way.

………………

"How long do you think they'll be in there?" Darcy asked. He was stretched out on a beach chair with some file. Jane and Charlie were lying next to him on a blanket in the sand.

Jane opened her eyes, "She'll stay out there all day if she can." She shaded her eyes and looked out. Elizabeth threw herself into wave and swam out of it, coming up and laughing. Felix came up behind her and snapped the back of the top of her bathing suit. Elizabeth just laughed and pushed him into the next wave.

Darcy scowled, "I don't know how they can stay out there all day."

"What? Are you jealous?" Bingley sat up smiling.

"No. Ha. Far from it. I'm just hungry. I want to go eat."

"So go out and get them."

Darcy looked out at them again and scowled, "I wouldn't want to interrupt their play time."

"I'm sure Lizzy wouldn't mind. Go out and see them, Darcy," Jane nodded encouragingly.

He looked like he was going to get up for a second but then stretched back into the chair, "I think I'll just take a nap until they get back."

Charlie rolled his eyes at Jane.

Elizabeth came over soon after that, dripping with salt water, her legs covered in sand and Felix right behind her.

"We're hungry," She announced. Darcy opened his eyes.

Felix shook his head, "No, she's hungry."

"Hey, you said you were hungry too!" She gave him a little light slap on the stomach.

"I only said that so you'd get out."

"Hey!"

"Hey is for horses, you know," Felix poked her on the back of her shoulder.

"Ow, that hurt. I think I got sun burnt."

Felix looked concerned and rubbed her shoulders lightly, "Didn't you put on sun block?"

"No," Darcy suddenly stood up.

"No what?" They said at the same time and then laughed.

"No, I'm not hungry." Charlie and Jane looked at him, confused.

"Well, then we're going to walk up to the street and see what's around. I thought everyone would be hungry by now."

"We are. Darcy, I thought you said you were hungry five minutes ago." Charlie asked him, pulling on a tee shirt.

"Fine," Darcy scowled for maybe the twentieth that day, "Let's just go."

Elizabeth had stopped listening half way through the conversation. Actually, at the point where Darcy had stood up and Elizabeth had gotten her first good look at him, her ears seemed to shut off. 'Nice chest- check. Good abs- check. Gorgeous cuerpo- check, check. Not too muscular, not too skinny. I wonder how strong he is. He's probably strong. He could carry me, of course. Over the threshold.' She shook her head. 'Okay must stop daydreaming and allowing myself to think of Darcy in any way but what he is. Hot- I mean jerky.

"Elizabeth, have you your clothes on yet? Get going." Felix tossed a towel at her, "And quit daydreaming."

……………………………

They stopped at a small lunch counter to eat and then decided to walk around to check out the shops. Elizabeth wanted to go into a surf shop on the corner. "I've always wanted to learn," she explained.

"Darcy knows how. He loves to surf. Maybe he'll teach you sometime," Felix looked over at Darcy.

"Yeah, maybe."

Elizabeth picked up a bikini. (However, it was fairly modest, so no ideas that she's trying to show off or anything, she's just not that kind of girl.) "Hey, I'm going to try on this bathing suit. You can go if you want and I'll come find you guys."

"No, go on and try it. We'll wait," Darcy unexpectedly replied, turning to look a board on the wall.

She went into the dressing room to change. Darcy calmly sat on a bench and waited, but Felix started to get impatient

He rapped on the door with his knuckles, "Are you coming out to show us then?"

"No way!" she called from the other side.

"Oh, come on. We're all friends here. Let's see."

There was silence from the dressing room and then a sigh, "Okay"

Darcy sort of perked up then and Felix smiled at him. She came out.

"You look gorgeous, woman. Don't you think so, Darce? Shouldn't she buy it?"

Darcy shrugged, "It looks good."

Felix whispered something in Elizabeth's ear and she squealed with laughter. Darcy just rolled his eyes. Very suddenly he was anxious to leave. "Are we done here?"

Elizabeth quickly went back to change.

"Darce, you've got learn patience. It is a virtue, you know."

"Well…," it took him a minute to think of a reply,"…you should learn respect. Like to respect the decision that I was done with shopping twenty minutes ago."

Felix only laughed, "Bollocks. It's a good thing I'm so good-natured, mate, because otherwise you wouldn't have any friends this weekend. You're an arsehole."

"No I'm not," Darcy snapped and left the shop.

Felix broke out in laughter as Elizabeth came out, changed.

"You know, I think he likes you. Usually he's a lot more laid back."

"What? No. Why do people keep saying that? This morning he told me I looked terrible."

Felix laughed, "He has the worst problems with girls. Always been like that. He's rather shy. But once you get to know him he's a true friend. Loyal and trustworthy and all that rubbish."

Elizabeth laughed, "So you're complete opposites."

"You saucy minx. Let's get out of here," he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her out.

………..

When Elizabeth spotted a fortune telling shop they decided to split up.

"You guys are no fun," Jane pouted.

"Someone needs to make reservations," Charlie replied, squeezing her hand. Really, they were the grossest couple.

"Well, you go and make reservations, Lizzy and I will see what's in our futures."

"I know what's in my future." He gave her a pointed look.

"Okay, let's go," Darcy said tersely, heading off into the other direction. Elizabeth gave Jane a look, a look that said, 'this is why I hate him'. Jane shook her head and pulled her into the shop.

Immediately Elizabeth smelled the heavy incense and giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"I don't know, I just got a little nervous. What if she tells me I'm going to die tomorrow? Oh my gosh, we're flying home tomorrow!"

Jane sighed, "Then tell her that you don't want to know when you die."

"You ask questions? What are you going to ask?"

Jane shrugged, "When I was little, my friends and I always went to the gypsies to get our palms read. I only asked about boys then. Does he like me? When will I get married? What's the name of my soul mate? I didn't want to marry someone that wasn't my soul mate."

Elizabeth fingered what she thought was a cat skull. "This is kinda gross."

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

"Jane, do you believe in this stuff?"

Jane only shrugged, "You never know. But one time my friend, Sophie Marceau, said that a gypsy was a liar and the next week she got the…you know that disease when you get bumps all over when you're a kid and they itch…?"

"The chicken pox?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Jane, a lot of kids get the chicken pox."

"Twice in one year? She had a curse on her."

Elizabeth laughed a little, but then suddenly stopped, "I just got goose bumps! You're giving me the creeps."

"It's not me," Jane said solemnly.

"Elizabeth?" a voice with a heavy Romanian accent called out from behind a curtained room.

"Here," she called out.

"This isn't school- go back there. And don't ask dumb questions. Remember poor Sophie Marceau."

Elizabeth paled and went into the room, which was, of course, dim, filled with candles and shimmering light catchers, but nicely air conditioned.

"Sit, sit and give me your palm"

Elizabeth stretched out her palm and the woman grabbed it, pinning it on to the table and stretching out her fingers. The woman kept nodding her head and tracing the lines that ran across her palm. She didn't say anything for awhile and Elizabeth got nervous. 'I am going to die tomorrow!' was all she could think.

She couldn't help but ask.

"No. No death yet. Too young."

Elizabeth relaxed, "So what does it say?"

"You like to instruct others? To boss around?"

"Well, I'm a teacher."

"Ahh. And you have not so good luck with love in past, right?"

"Well…"

"You can't hide it from me, it's all right here." She pointed to the line on top, "All these little lines. Little pieces of your heart gone."

"Gone?"

"They are gone and now you don't believe."

"In what?"

"What else. Soul mates."

"Oh. Wait. I've never believed in soul mates. Come on, a special person for everybody?"

The woman shrugged, "When you were a little girl, you believed. You dreamed."

Elizabeth shrugged back. "So will I ever finish school?"

The woman glanced at her hand, "Sure, sure. You know that. You want it, you get it. You know that. But look at this top line, closely. How old are you?"

"I just turned twenty- five" Elizabeth looked at the line a little closer, trying to see something other than her skin, but the woman shooed her away with a hand.

"Then you've met him."

"What?"

"You met your soul mate."

"When? Are you kidding? Do not say it was Phil. Do not say it."

"I do not know his name. All I know is you met him during full moon."

"Full moon?"

"Yeah- this summer, in the previous month. You know- full moon."

Elizabeth snorted, "I haven't met anyone that's my soul mate. Sorry." The woman let go of her hand. "Am I done then? Where do I pay?"

The woman shook her head and opened her hand for money. When Elizabeth went to give it to her, she took her hand again and lowered her voice, "Sometimes, the people we meet are not who they are. They are someone else, you know?" Elizabeth shook her head, no. The woman went on, "Maybe good. Maybe bad. You must try to see who they are. You miss something special if you look so fast."

"I don't really understand."

"That's all," she shooed her out with her hand.

Elizabeth left, with an eerie feeling floating through her. She blamed it on the incense.

She went for a pretzel while she waited for Jane to come out. She couldn't help but make a list of guys she met in the last month as she stood in line. Well, we have new mail man. The new principal, but he's married. Oh and that actor guy, George Something, but he never called me after got he my number, bastard. And then Charlie, clearly though, Jane's soul mate. Her brain was screaming one name the whole time, but she was refusing to listen, but now she was at the end of the list. She had to acknowledge him. Or else it was a big deal. And neither he nor the palm reading was a big deal. Fine, and she met Darcy- but he was complete jerk and totally incapable of paying attention or even caring about anyone but himself. "You're up next, lady."

She looked up, "Oh, right." Suddenly she felt a voice beside her, well, obviously, a person too, but she heard his voice first.

"What do you keep daydreaming about?"

"Felix." She turned around, "What are you doing here?" The guy at the counter groaned loudly. "Oh, the cinnamon sugar, please."

"That sounds good," Felix smiled.

"You can have some of mine."

"I was just sent over to tell you we have a table and when you decide to join us we will be delighted."

"Sure, we'll be over, Jane's almost done." He nodded and headed over to the restaurant across the street. She watched his retreating figure and wondered if he was the one. No way, she thought in the next second, some people you know you're only meant to be friends with and he was one of those people.

Almost to its own accord, her mind came back to Darcy again. She tried to imagine a future with him and could only conjure thoughts of her fighting with him and him just making stupid comments and her getting so angry. She couldn't even imagine make up sex. They would never get past the fighting.

But maybe there was a reason for her crazy-stupid attraction to him despite her complete dislike of him.

No, she decided, that was just her hormones on overdrive.

…………………………………………….


	7. To LikeLike Somebody

_I can readily believe," answered he gravely, "that reports may vary greatly with respect to me; and I could wish, Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch my character at the present moment, as there is reason to fear that the performance would reflect no credit on either._ (chapter 18)

Chapter 7- To Like-Like Somebody

The restaurant was a quaint, little seaside place with white table clothes but mismatching chairs. Candles on the tables and chinese lanterns strung around the balcony. The kind of place Elizabeth loved. All thoughts of being alone and bitter for the rest of her natural life or having Darcy as a possible soul mate faded, when they sat down at the balcony, surrounded by salty air. The tide was roaring in under the moonlight and the glow of pink and orange chinese lanterns made Elizabeth glow herself. She was happy to be away from the city and at the beach. She was glad to be with friends in this cozy restaurant playing "I'll Take You There" over the speakers. She smiled widely at Jane, she even smiled at Darcy when he looked at her. He sort of smiled back and returned his gaze to the dark rolling waves.

A couple minutes after waitress had brought the basket of rolls, everyone at the table around Elizabeth seemed to be yawning and rubbing their bellies. Except for Darcy who was still, dutifully, watching the surf. There could be a possible huge man-eating shark, or better yet, pirates, Elizabeth mused to herself.

Jane yawned again, "Well, actually, I'm not really hungry. Are you?" she looked at Charlie, who shook his head obediently. Jane smiled sweetly "Then, why don't we go for a walk along the beach?"

"Yeah, let's do that."

"What? You guys are leaving?" Elizabeth asked, surprised and feeling hopelessly abandoned by Jane.

"Don't worry Elizabeth, I'll be back when you come home," Jane smiled at her and patted her hair.

Making a face like a petulant child, Elizabeth mumbled, "Well…okay."

Charlie only smiled apologetically and took Jane's hand, leading her away.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her.

Felix laughed at this and stretched. Then he suddenly straightened up and looked at his watch. "Bugger. It's nine thirty. Well, have to go then. Told a girl I would meet her. Sorry to leave you hanging, mate, but you and Elizabeth should be all right alone, yeah?" waggling his eyebrows.

"Are you serious? Don't leave. When did you meet a girl?" Elizabeth blurted frantically.

"Last night. Now don't give me that face. I'm sure you two will be lovely together. If you run out of things to talk about, just snog, that's what I usually do."

"Felix, just leave if you're going to be stupid."

"Elizabeth, don't worry, he's not usually this sulky. I think he's just nervous."

Elizabeth laughed lightly.

"No, really."

Felix laughed a goodbye and left.

Darcy looked around, unsure of what to say. Elizabeth, found her self embarrassed and with nothing to say. 'She left, she left, she left' was all that ran through Elizabeth's mind for a complete minute, Darcy doing nothing to break the mantra, just sitting at the table, next to her, illuminated by candle and the moonlight. His cell phone surprisingly silent. Seconds seemed to stretch for minutes until Darcy finally spoke up.

"So…did you want to try snogging?" Darcy asked.

Elizabeth looked up sharply, "What?"

"Forget I said that, I don't know why I said that," he looked away.

Elizabeth looked away in the opposite direction, annoyed. This guy is actually crazy. I mean nuts. And completely awkward. And rude. And boring. And a workaholic. Who would say that? Who would say something so stupid and out of place? And then she had to laugh because she knew she would have.

Darcy looked over at her as she laughed, almost relieved, but mostly confused.

"Well, this is awkward," she laughed.

And Darcy had to laugh too, if only to break his own tension.

Laughing cleared her mind and she thought of ice breaker. He likes to talk about work, right? "So, no work tonight?" she gestured to his docile cell.

"I'm on vacation. I'm trying to cut back."

"From what I've seen you're quite the workaholic."

"Well, not usually, but the company's moving headquarters. It's a major thing- takes a lot of work."

She remembered the ceremony and immediately that itching annoyed feeling returned, she couldn't stop herself from bringing it up, even though she knew she should let it go. "So you think it's okay to work during a wedding ceremony?" she tried to keep to edge out of her voice.

"I didn't work."

"Your phone rang, and you answered it and you left to go a have a conversation! In the middle of the ceremony!"

"I whispered. I was very quiet."

"I don't think that's the point at all. I think the point is you brought it."

Darcy was silent and turned to look at the dark surf. Then he turned to her, "What's the point with these questions?"

Elizabeth was surprised by his bluntness and it took her a moment to answer back, "I'm just trying to understand you."

"Do you?"

She frowned, "Not at all."

He only nodded in response and began to pull at a roll in the breadbasket.

"Are you that hungry?"

She shook her head, "I just had a gynormous pretzel."

"Gynormous?"

She gave him a weak smile, "It was pretty big."

"Well, I'm not that hungry either, let's go back."

She was confused, "Where?"

"To the hotel."

Elizabeth thought this was the first intelligent thing he said all night. He pulled some money out of his pocket and left it on the table. Elizabeth started to go through her purse, searching for the twenty that she stuck in there, "Hold on, I just…"

Darcy briefly touched the top of her hand, but sudden contact made her look up sharply. "Don't worry about it, Elizabeth."

"No, I can-" and she stated looking again.

"Just leave it. I don't mind," and this time he started to walk away a little, like a warning.

Elizabeth scowled, but then started to follow him. She really was never one to turn down free meals. But then he walked back towards her, actually, into her, and she stumbled a little from the contact.

"Sorry. Let's go this way." And then he started towards the railing and unhooked the gate that clearly read 'EMPLOYEES ONLY'.

"Umm. Darcy, there's sign."

"That's so people don't run off with out paying the bill, we've already paid it. This will be faster," he stood at the bottom of the stairs, in the sand.

"Actually we never got a bill. How do I know you just didn't leave a bunch of ones?" she held her ground on the top of the patio, nervously looking around. It was like a scene from a demented Romeo and Juliet.

"Elizabeth," he said impatiently.

She rolled her eyes and started down the stairs, "Fine, Fine. But I hope you have enough money to bail us out of jail."

"I paid for dinner. You can pay for jail."

Elizabeth looked at him, shocked for a moment and then laughed, "That was funny."

He looked at her oddly, "Thanks."

Elizabeth was going to explain herself but suddenly felt too tired to. She took off her shoes instead.

"What are you doing?" his forehead crinkled.

She showed him her shoes, now in her hands, "Taking off my shoes."

"Oh. Right." And he started to take off his own. And it was kind of adorable.

"It's easier to walk in the sand without shoes."

"Good idea."

They headed towards the hotel, mostly in silence. Which was awkward, but almost not, if that was possible. Once Darcy asked her if she had a good time at the wedding. She mumbled 'yes, did you?' He just responded sure. She meant to say something next but the look of him in the moonlight caught her off guard. His skin was tanned and looked more olive then ever. His hand brushed hers once and it made her jump slightly, in surprise, but Darcy didn't say anything if he had noticed.

The hotel wasn't that far, but it seemed to take forever to get there, with the silent moonlit walk and the jumpy hand brushing.

When they finally reached the fourth floor, they stood uncomfortably in between the doors to their separate rooms. Elizabeth felt like she was being held there without reason, unable for an unknown cause to bolt to her own room. Finally Darcy spoke up. "Do you want to come in?"

"Come in your room?" She blurted, feeling stupid.

He only laughed, though, "Sure, come in to my room. Just for company. I'm sure Jane and Bingley won't be back for awhile.

Elizabeth fidgeted, "Well…fine." Almost disbelieving her ears, "Just for a little bit."

Darcy seemed to visibly relax and then unlock and open his door, "Come in," and he rushed away into the bedroom.

Elizabeth stood there in the sitting area, wondering if he meant for her to follow him. Struck by the idea that he was meaning to seduce the whole time, she looked around nervously for any scarves strewn on the lamps or odd candles lurking. She shouldn't have had so much wine. She was feeling a little hazy now, in the dimly lit room. Darcy's room.

He came back out then, with a wine bottle in his hand, gesturing for her to sit down. "Well, Felix isn't here. I guess he did go out." Then he pulled out some glasses sitting idly on the table next to the t.v. "You want to put something on? The remote is next to you. On that table." He sat down on the opposite side of the couch. 'Phew, no seducing tonight.' Elizabeth sat frozen on the sofa, unable to believe she actually allowed herself to be in the same room with him by choice. He poured some wine in a glass and handed it to her.

"A tumbler? No wine glass?"

"I can call down-"

Elizabeth waved her hand, "No, no. I was joking."

He reached over suddenly. Every movement he made seemed sudden. It was probably just her being jumpy. She couldn't explain why she was so nervous. Her heart seemed to be pounding some kind of Morse code, 'get out while you still can', it tapped. She repressed a shudder.

He reached across her and for the moment she was overwhelmed with the smell of him, not overpowering, just light. Cottony. Like fabric softener. She thought for a split second he was going to kiss her, he turned his face a little towards her and he was so close, reaching across her. But then he was gone, remote in hand and t.v. already on. He was a quick one. She had to get a hold of herself. Her imagination seemed to be running rampant tonight, between images of him pushing her against the couch and kissing her to him knocking her across the head with the remote and her collapsing to the floor. She didn't know where that came from, too many horror movies she guessed. She focused her mind on the images flipping through on the television. Spanish soap opera, celebrity gossip, news, news, news, baseball game- Yankees and Orioles, fashion show, cartoons, countdown. And Darcy stopped right there, right as her heart stopped. A VH1 Countdown.

He turned, "Is this okay? There's not much on."

"Oh, sure, fine," she played it cool, because possibly he really did stop at VH1 for the reason he said and not for any inhuman craving to watch it…like some people she knew.

They watched t.v. for a while before Darcy demanded if she liked Felix, it didn't even sound like a question.

Elizabeth was thrown off and unsure how to answer, "Yeah, he's a nice guy.

Darcy ran his hand through his hair, "No, I mean do you _like_ him?"

Elizabeth finally understood what he trying to ask, "You mean like-like him? Darcy, what grade are you in?"

"What grade are _you_ in?" He retorted and then blushed, "I mean are you interested in him?"

"Darcy, you're weird, you know that? But, rest assured we're just friends."

Darcy blushed again and took a long gulp of wine.

After that, he didn't say anything for a half hour, just sat there watching the fifty top breakups in Hollywood. When it was over she got up to leave and Darcy only looked up at her.

"Okay, well, I'm going to leave."

He shrugged, "Okay, goodnight. Have a good trip back."

"Uh, thanks," and she left, feeling oddly ignored and brushed off. She wasn't expecting anything, was she? No, she hated him. He was an insensitive jerk. That was definitely the last time she was going to see him again. And that was a relief.

………………………………

When she got back top the room, Jane was sitting on the bed with a sundae.

"Hey, give me a bite," Elizabeth pouted.

Jane gave her the half-eaten sundae, "Eat the rest, I'm full. Where were you? I thought you would be scowling at a countdown I came back."

"Well, I was, but not in here. In Darcy's room."

"You were with Darcy? So you guys hit it off? When's the wedding?"

"Knock it off, man. No, he still is totally weird and a rude. You know what his problem is? He has a lot of pride. For himself and not the good kind. It's like he's obsessed with himself."

Jane rolled her eyes, "Not this again."

"Well, stop making me be around him and you wouldn't have to hear it. What time is it?"

"Twelve thirty"

"You want to go to club or something?" She felt restless.

"Lizzy, you hate clubs."

"Oh, right. Do you want to order a movie?"

"Okay. And order another sundae up."

"I thought you said you were full?" Lizzy started playing with the remote, pushing buttons, hoping for the movie ordering screen.

"I changed my mind." Jane stuck her hand out for the remote.

Elizabeth gave it to her, defeated, "Good, I'll get two more. And tomorrow before we leave, we have to pick up a hermit crab. I think I want one with a pink shell this time."

"Okay, I'm sure Charlie won't mind going," Jane pushed a button and there was the movie screen.

"He's driving us?"

"Yeah in the rental car."

"Good. No more Darcy for life." She picked up to phone to call for more sundaes. Glad to be free of Darcy. No really, she was really relieved.

…………………………

----I'm so embarrassed that I'm updating already. I really do have some kind of a life. Sort of. Anyway comments, questions, reviews…leave them all for me to read. I know I can my writing style is really…fragmented and so if anything's confusing tell me and maybe I'll look it over and make clearer…and into a complete sentence. Haha.


	8. The City of Brotherly Love

_"We must not be so ready to fancy ourselves intentionally injured. We must not expect a lively young man to be always so guarded and circumspect. It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us. __Women fancy admiration means more than it does."  
"And men take care that they should."__ (Ch. 24)_

Chapter 8- The City of Brotherly Love

Elizabeth named her hot-pink shelled hermit crab Groovy and had a successful three week relationship until its sudden and tragic death. The morning of her first day of summer school she let it stroll around the sink while she got ready, their morning routine. A half hour later it was still in the same position she left it. She picked it up and shook it a little to wake it up, but all that came out of the shell was a lifeless, pale claw.

After a brief burial service in Elizabeth and Jane's only houseplant, Elizabeth found some closure and ran off to her first day of summer school.

………………….

She hated the first day of school. She hated it when she was the student, she hated it when she was the teacher. Basically it's all the same, you're just trying to fit in and hoping the other kids will like you. It's as stressful being in ninth grade as it is teaching ninth grade.

Her corny jokes usually didn't go over well on the first day and mostly they just produced distinct cricket noises. In couple weeks though, they'll get used to her and if not roars of laughter and shaded giggles, she'll at least get the eye rolls and loud groans. Anything but silence. She contemplated this all on the walk home, the school being only ten blocks from her house and the humidity at a comfortable 50 percent. (You'd be surprised what becomes comfortable in a heat wave.

At last, she was home. Elizabeth burst in the apartment and collapsed on the couch, throwing her books on the coffee table.

Jane popped out of the kitchen.

"You're home! I thought you were working?" Elizabeth asked, surprised.

"No, no I have the late shift tonight. You'd be surprised how many pet injuries occur after midnight."

"I bet I would."

"So how was your first day of class?"

"Crazy. No, really, those kids are crazy. Intercity summer school is hard!"

"No duh. Isn't it where all the bad kids go?

"They're not bad, they just need extra help," she replied and then she thought about the kid coaxing everyone to get in on playing dice during her lecture, "Well, some are bad." Elizabeth wretched herself off the couch to get a yogurt, "Have you ever seen _Dangerous Minds_?"

Jane groaned a yes. She knew what was coming.

"Well, I've been imagining myself as Michelle Phiefer…well, not blonde, of course. But just coming in and actually helping these kids and they would all listen and love me and start getting out their college applications."

Jane felt Elizabeth's disappointment and followed her into the kitchen, tugging on her hand, "Sweetie, it's only your first day. Give it time. You're a good teacher."

Elizabeth swatted her away, "No, no. I know I'm a good teacher. But I don't know karate."

"What?"

"In the movie she does karate and then everyone loves her. But I don't know karate or anything like that."

Jane groaned, "Lizzy, that was movie."

"I know," Elizabeth sat on a stool sullenly clutching her yogurt. "I know I'm going to sound like Napoleon Dynamite, but it has to be said: I have no skills. All I can do is read books and talk about them."

"I'm sure you can teach them Hemingway without skills, but if you're that upset…" Jane trailed off, looking around the kitchen and then into the living room.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for my phone. I'm going to call the clinic. We have some unclaimed kittens…Lizzy, do you want to get a kitten?"

"You mean to live with?"

"Yes, wouldn't that be great? I thought after Groovy's passing, you would need companionship, but since I'm not here a lot…"

"Jane, you're the mother I've never had. No seriously, you've met my mother. Complete psyco."

Jane laughed, "Aren't parents divine? Ah, my phone," she snatched it up and called.

Elizabeth sang into her room to change, "We're getting a kitty."

That day they went and picked out a tiny grey kitten meowing under a pile of its brothers and sisters, who were all orange. After carefully sizing up the kitten and allowing herself a day to examine its personality, Elizabeth gave it a name: Groovy 2, in honor of her lost pink hermit crab. And she really just wanted a pet named Groovy.

……………………….

During a particular hazy hot day in July, Elizabeth was walking back from work, or more like struggling for a taxi to get her home, when she bumped into George, the bastard actor guy she had met in May.

Still sulky that he had never called her, she feigned ignorance to his identity and was planning to ignore him until she could safely pop into a cab. Well, until, he shouted, 'Elizabeth'.

"Yes?" she stammered.

"It's me. George. Come on, Liz, I know you remember me," He was grinning with confidence.

"Oh, right. George. You're an…actor, right?

"That's me. You gave me your….number, right?"

She rolled her eyes, "Correct. And you…never called. I read your play closed."

"Ouch. Okay, I guess I deserved that. But I was meaning to call you. Your number is still framed up on my fridge- highlighted with hearts and kisses drawn all over it. I swear."

Elizabeth had to laugh a little. "No, it's okay. It wasn't even a big deal. I'm sure you're busy with auditions"

"And the play."

"Right. The play that just closed."

George smiled, "Yup," he looked around at the street and then back at her, "Hey, do you want go to dinner sometime?"

Elizabeth laughed, "Are you going to call?"

"I won't even need to call. We'll make the plans right now. Tomorrow, eight o'clock. The Burger King a block from here."

Elizabeth blinked.

"No, I'm kidding. There's an excellent Italian place on South and Third. I'll meet you there. Unless you have another date or something?"

Elizabeth sighed, "No, I'll meet you there."

"Great," he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and then turned and hailed her a cab. He opened the door, "Eight o'clock, okay? Don't leave me crying in my risotto."

…………

The next night Elizabeth found herself at that fantastic Italian restaurant with that fantastic boy (all references to bastard or jerk gone). They were having a fantastic time. He was charming and funny and cute and all the reasons why she gave him her number in the first place. 'I really shouldn't have wrote him off so fast, she scolded herself, he probably was busy. I mean he's an actor. That has to be a hectic job, right?'

After dinner they decided to take a stroll down center city. Elizabeth confessed she loved the cobblestone streets and George confessed he had a secret fantasy to be a Ben Franklin impersonator. His hand brushed hers and she walked a little closer to him. They stopped at Independence Hall and admired how good it looked with lights shining on it. When George sighed dramatically, 'I wish I were a fore-father'. Elizabeth laughed loudly and grabbed his hand, happy not to be faking her laughter.

They strolled some more and passed by a news stand, where George went to get a newspaper and Elizabeth saw Darcy for the first time in weeks. At her surprised gasp, George turned to look. And there he was staring up at them from Philadelphia magazine, all business in a suit with the headline, 'The Updated 50 Most Eligible Bachelors in the City of Brotherly Love' across his chest.

"Prick," George mumbled.

"Do you know him?"

"Oh yeah, I know him and wish I didn't"

"I knew it!" Elizabeth felt a guilty triumphant smirk on her face.

George look startled, "What do you know?"

"I knew he was jerk."

"Oh, totally," he looked over shyly, "So how do you know him?"

"Oh, my roommate is dating his best friend. And he went to a wedding in North Carolina with me. Well, not _with_ me. He was there, too. He's weird. I really don't like him."

"Good because I'm not sure I could go out with you again if you did."

Elizabeth laughed, "What if I did like him?"

George turned serious. "Don't say that. I can't stand to hear it."

Elizabeth frowned, "I'm sorry..." She trailed off. This was awkward.

George paid for the newspaper and walked off, Elizabeth trailing behind him. When he sat on a bench Elizabeth followed suit.

"I know I just acted a little crazy for a second. But this guy…He ruined my life."

Elizabeth was skeptical for a moment. Okay, so George was a little dramatic, that was obvious. He was an actor. But ruined his life? What a statement to make. "How?"

"Well…I feel uncomfortable talking about this on a first date."

"Oh, I won't pry anymore then," she slouched back, disappointed.

"Well…I'll tell you, but this is just because I have a good feeling about you," he winked at her and then smiled. Then his face changed to a painful expression, "It's kind of hard to talk about. But…Darcy, well, he slept with my wife,"

"Are you serious? How long were you married?"

"Three months. And I knew he liked her. I knew it. I mean he flirted with her during our whole reception. But I loved her so much, I turned a blind eye," he sighed. "We were friends since I can remember. I was fifteen when my dad died and Darcy's father took me in. We were basically brothers. We went to college together. He was my best man. And then he slept with my wife," he paused to shrug, a what-can-you-do shrug, "The divorce was brutal and long and she ended up with basically everything I had, including a large sum that Darcy's father had given me for a wedding present."

"Yeah, but, _she_ cheated on _you_. How did she get anything at all?"

"It was her word against mine, no proof. And I really think they were in it together. Darcy went to law school. He probably went just to conspire against me. It's like his whole life was planned for that moment, to devastate _my_ life," he bowed his head theatrically.

"Why? I thought you guys were like brothers?"

"Well, so did I, but I think Darcy was always jealous of me. I'm cuter," he smiled at Elizabeth, "and people have always seemed to like me better, including…" he stopped and looked way.

"Including who?"

"I really hate to say this. It's easier to think it than to say it out loud."

"It's okay."

"Including his father. His dad and I always got along so well. We used to go on fishing trips together a lot and Darcy would stay home and sulk because supposedly he didn't like fishing," he rolled his eyes.

"Supposedly?"

"Who really knows with him?"

Elizabeth nodded in response.

"I really did value him like a brother, I mean, until he slept with Laura."

Elizabeth sat in silence for a second, the only response she could conjure being a weak, juvenile, '_Man_'.

……………………

That was their last real date. They met for lunch that weekend, but he had to leave early because his agent called. Then he never called or returned her phone calls. Left to dissect their two little crappy dates and what she could have done to drive him away, Elizabeth wallowed a bit with pints of ice cream. But then a couple weeks later she got a static-y voice mail from him, explaining that he was sorry for not calling her sooner, but he had moved to New York, where he was sure to get way more of the exposure he deserved.

She rolled her eyes and vowed never to go out with an actor again, saying good riddance as she deleted his number from her cell phone. Then she proceeded to blast 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin and dance. Because that's what life is about, huh?

…………………

Short and sweet and to the point. I went on vacay for the week and now I'm just trying to get back into my flow. Plus, I hate Wickham. I couldn't stand to keep him in very long. I mean I don't think he's evil or anything like some people make him out to be, he's just a player. And I've seen too many of them to be impressed. Maybe I'll try to rewrite this later and make it better.


	9. Yogurt Day

"_I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise." _(ch.10)

Chapter 10- Yogurt Day

After two weeks, Elizabeth began to fit in to her new job. There still was a random kid that would throw a chair or book across the room once in awhile, but you couldn't except the kids not to do that. So when the office suggested she have a volunteer come in and help, she was pretty eager to show off how professional and in control of the classroom she was. The school always had volunteers from a local agency coming in, especially for after school help. Most of the student's parents weren't available for homework help and this where a lot of the grades fell. Elizabeth could remember sobbing over her algebra homework every night in 10th grade, so she could sympathize.

A couple days later in the middle of a game of Popcorn Reading through Romeo and Juliet, there was a loud knock on the door. Elizabeth stopped reading and looked at the door as one of the kids, Frank, jumped up to get it.

"Thanks, Frank," and she turned to write something on the large chalkboard in front of the classroom.

She heard a low exchange between the student and the visitor. "It's for you, Miss Bennett." She turned around towards the door. "Darcy?" she took a double take, "Darcy?"

He stepped forward out of the doorway. Looking apprehensive in a nerdy blue blazer and a yellow shirt, Elizabeth almost felt tender towards him, like she was happy to see him after the long absence. But her annoyance that he was disturbing her class took over- they were already humming with noise and flinging the 'popcorn' ball at each other.

"Eliza- er- Miss Bennett, I guess. I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a class. Jane said you had a break now," he looked around helplessly at a group of boys now wrestling on the floor.

"Well they switched it all around- What are you doing here?" she turned to the boys and gave them a little kick, "Guys, in your seats. Come on now."

"Shit, Miss Bennett we weren't for real," a boy yelled out.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, "Well, I'm for real. Get in your seat." She turned back to Darcy expectantly.

"I'm, umm, well, I came to volunteer. Just on Fridays. It's the only time I could."

"You- volunteer? At my school?"

"Wait- this is your school?" Darcy asked in mock surprise.

"Of course it's my- oh, your joking. That's a first."

Darcy scowled, "I joke."

"I guess I missed them all."

"I guess you did."

Elizabeth had more questions, but none that she wanted to ask Darcy in front of the class. Darcy just looked at her. Then he scanned the room, nervously. Then he looked at her. Then he looked at what she had written on the board. Then he looked at her. Then he looked at what she had written on the board. Elizabeth was becoming frustrated. He finally spoke up,

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet?"

"What?"

"You're teaching Romeo and Juliet, right?"

"Yeah, we like to teach here." One of the kids yelled, 'yeah right'. Elizabeth ignored him. "You like Shakespeare? Nice quote, albeit cheesy-- for a shipping heir."

"Hey, I read. I went to college just like you."

"So, you're here to be…?

"A tutor. A writing tutor."

"Then you're an hour early," Elizabeth pointed out.

"I know, but I wanted to see you first."

A group of girls who had been putting on lip gloss for the past ten minutes, giggled in the front.

Elizabeth huffed and walked out into the hallway with Darcy trailing her.

When they out in the hallway, the door to classroom cracked open, she spoke impatiently, "Darcy, I have a class."

"Well, I know that now," he said defensively.

"Well, I have to go and teach then."

"Ok," he answered back, but he looked a little disappointed, with his hands in his pockets. And something in her at that moment didn't want to disappoint him. Something in her relented and switched off the biatch mode.

She leaned forward and touched his arm, "But I can see you after school…In the teacher's lounge."

He smiled and turned away, "See you then. Good luck with Romeo and Juliet."

When she met him in the teachers' lounge, he didn't have much to say. She had thought he came to talk to her for a purpose, but their conversation seemed to lack one and Darcy never made it clear what he wanted to talk to her about. At first she couldn't get him to talk. He answered only in monosyllabic, black and white words. When he did have to talk in a complete sentence it was with long pauses in between the words. For example,

ELIZABETH: So why are you tutoring high school all of the sudden?

DARCY: Well….I've done….some…tutoring before. …..And I wanted to…….get my mind….off…..on….some good things.

Basically the whole conversation went like that. His answers became longer and more detailed but just as poorly formed. She had managed to get out of him that he had tutored in New York and when he found out she was teaching summer school, he requested her school. Elizabeth understood that part. It was always easier to teach somewhere when you knew the faculty. The surprising part was that the incredibly awkward conversation lasted over a half hour.

Finally, she went to leave, giving Darcy some pointers and tips with certain students, "And if Marco tosses a chair or something heavy or sharp give him a warning, but if it's at you then you have to call the office. If it's your head you have my permission to go to the ER."

Darcy looked at her open-mouthed.

Elizabeth smiled, "Relax, Darcy, they usually don't throw stuff towards you. But chucking things in general, they're big fans of. Just take give them a warning. A real one. Act like you upset and use an authoritative voice. But don't yell or act really mad, they'll just make fun of you. There are other teachers in the building if you get in trouble, though. Okay…have to go. See ya," She went out the door.

Darcy stood up swiftly, "Wait- Elizabeth,"

She popped her head in and she looked at him expectantly.

He looked her straight at her, in the eyes, confidently. This threw her off. He had seemed so…well, _not_ confident the whole time he was talking to her.

He cleared his throat and then broke his gaze, "Oh…I just wanted to say…have a good day." Whatever he had just mustered up was gone.

Elizabeth smiled weakly, "Umm, you too, Darcy."

She left that day, more confused about him then ever. She felt like she had seen so many different sides of him and heard so many conflicting accounts of his personality. He was a walking contradiction. She was convinced one of these sides had to be an act. Jane and Bingley had both stressed how kind he was. And sometimes, including now, she had witnessed some of his acts of kindness. He almost seemed a little shy today, too. But what about the first time she met him and all the weeks following? He was a complete jerk and so rude and so stuck up. And then there was George's almost heartbreaking story about Darcy stealing his wife- whether George was a flake or not, having your wife run away with your best friend was a terrible story.

'That's probably why George is the way he is.' She thought suddenly. Darcy had broken his heart so terribly; he was now a major commitment-phobe. Just that had to trump everything else, even the tutoring. Fidel Castro has a yogurt day for the kids of his country, but that didn't erase their lack of freedom or opportunity. Or maybe it did. She was confused.

…………………………..

After that he was there to tutor every week. And the kids actually seemed to like him. Whether it was because he brought candy every week or he was good tutor was another question. But he was so adorable with the kids, laughing and teasing them. If only he could be like that with grownups, she thought. This new side of him (she had to admit), did push everything George had told her to the back of her mind, at least temporarily.

After a few weeks, Darcy and Elizabeth became comfortable with each other, if not a little friendly. Whether it was because he brought her candy every week or because she liked him was another matter. But one day he seemed to revert to his old, strange self. Darcy happened to get to the school earlier then usual and Elizabeth had let the kids go a little early and was talking to Jane on the phone. Jane was a little panicked because it was time for her to renew her visa and this was the first time she was doing it as a non-student.

When Darcy came in she nodded at him and pointed to her phone. He nodded back and turned to look through the fridge.

"Now, Jane, don't worry about anything. Of course you'll get a green card. Just wear something tight and skimpy," she held the phone between her shoulder and her ear, correcting a paper.

"What if it's a girl? Then she'll think I'm a hooker and send me right back."

"Wait- you're not a hooker?" Elizabeth laughed out loud at her joke and notice Darcy turned to look at her over some tabloid he had picked up. She looked away quickly.

"Lizzy! I'm in real distress!"

"Okay, okay, how about this- tight but modest...or loose and skimpy. Your choice."

Jane groaned, "Will you come live with me in France if I'm deported?"

"Sure. That would be fun. But I want a new career. Like...painting or….nude modeling."

"Only nudes?"

"Of course. I'm not a prude that gets painted with her clothes on, "Elizabeth accidentally let the phone slip on to the phone. She reached down to pick it up, Darcy already there to help. 'It's okay, I got it," she whispered and put the phone next to ear again. Darcy retreated to his chair.

"Hello?"

"Sorry, I dropped the phone. And what about your boyfriend? Don't you think he'll go with you? Paris is the city of love."

"Maybe, I don't know if we're that serious yet. I'm too shy to ask."

"Well, I think you're that serious. Actually being serious would solve all your problems, if you know what I mean."

"I'm not marrying Charlie to get a green card. Well…if it comes down to it…it's good backup," Jane laughed.

"Exactly. I thought that was the only reason you were keeping him around anyway."

"You saw right through me, Lizzy."

"I always do. But I got to go. I have a ton of papers to grade."

"Have fun."

"Bye" Elizabeth snapped her phone shut. Darcy looked away and then looked back her.

"So did you bring any food for me today?" she asked him.

"Umm…no. Just enough for the students." He looked agitated. "I'll leave to your papers."

"Gee, thanks," Elizabeth smiled up at him, right as he left, not looking at her. She shook her head, 'He's bi-polar. He has to be bi-polar.'

………………………………………………………………

The chapters should be longer now, after this one. Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them, I do! So, review some more! haha


	10. The Mess

_"I do not see what right Mr. Darcy had to decide on the propriety of his friend's inclination, or why, upon his own judgement alone, he was to determine and direct in what manner his friend was to be happy. But," she continued, recollecting herself, "as we know none of the particulars, it is not fair to condemn him. It is not to be supposed that there was much affection in the case." (ch. 34)_

Chapter 10- The Mess

"Here's your mail," Jane handed Elizabeth a crinkled magazine.

Elizabeth held out her hand, eyes trained on the t.v. "I don't know where they find these people. Or who makes these lists? Come on, Friends as the best show of the nineties? What about _The Nanny_? That was a work of pure comic genius."

Jane sniffed and Elizabeth finally looked up at her. She had red blotches around her eyes and her cheeks had a sticky sheen to them.

Elizabeth rushed off the couch, "Jane what's wrong? Have you been crying?"

Jane shook her head no, but tears were escaping and streaming down her face.

"No seriously, what happened? Is your family okay? In good health and everything? Is it Groovy?"

Jane shook her head and Elizabeth led her over to the couch. Upon seating, Jane's silent, guarded tears had now turned into full-fledged sobs. Elizabeth put her arms around her in surprise, scared. Usually Jane was the model portrait of poise and serenity. If she cried, it was silently with gentle, single tears that glided down her cheeks. But now she was sobbing with a face smothered in tears. Elizabeth was beginning to cry herself. She found herself in a role she wasn't use to playing.

"Do you want something?"

Jane shook her head, no.

"Ice cream? I can make you a sundae. Hot fudge."

Jane looked up at her to speak but she found she could only hiccup. She shook her head, yes and tried a weak smile. But somehow the smile felt so strange on her face, it reminded her of…she started to cry again, hiccupping worse. Elizabeth disappeared into the kitchen.

"Just take your time, Jane," she called out, "Take deep breaths." She got out a big bowl and a spoon; followed by the ice cream that was a forever a constant in their freezer.

She tried to scooping it, but it was rock hard. She only managed to successfully bend the spoon she digging it out with. Somehow even with all the ice cream, they had never managed to buy an ice cream scooper. She popped it in the microwave with the hot fudge and went to check on Jane.

"Can you speak yet?" Elizabeth attempted some kind of jesting tone, hoping to lighten Jane's situation.

Jane was crouched over her laptop.

"What are you reading?"

"L-Look," Jane shoved the laptop over towards her. Jane never shoved anything.

Elizabeth looked at the screen open to an email

'janey-

Sorry I had to tell you this way, but there just wasn't any time. But I was offered a job at an office with great opportunities a couple weeks ago and I'm going to accept it. There is a six month trial first. So I will be staying at Darcy's place in Manhattan while it's going on, just in case. I'm going to miss you. But maybe you shouldn't- well we should…I don't know how to say this. But I think maybe we should just spend some time apart and…evaluate where we are, I guess. I guess this would be a good thing to do. I've been told that that's important in a relationship. Too bad I'm not a relationship counosler…I guess then maybe I would know what to do. How to do this. I'll miss you. I will. And I hope to see you still- in the country- when I get back.

-charlie'

Elizabeth looked at Jane curled over the side of the couch wiping traces of tears away. Elizabeth slid over to her, "Oh, Jane. Oh man, I'm so sorry."

Jane shook her head, "No, no. It's okay. I think I'm done."

"What?"

"I think I've cleansed my system. I cried it all out. I'm done crying. He's just a jerk, right?" She looked up at Elizabeth, but Elizabeth didn't know what to say. Charlie seemed like the exact opposite of a jerk. His email seemed so confused, like he wasn't sure. But he wouldn't put a relationship on a six month break if he wasn't sure right? It all seemed so wrong. She wanted to hate Charlie but it seemed so surreal that he would just leave her like that. She couldn't wrap her mind around it.

Jane sat up straighter and smoothed her hair down. "Here, give me my laptop. I'm going to delete his email."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I've been sitting on this couch for hours reading this email for any hints or clues or…or reason and I can't find any. I'm tired of reading his empty words," her eyes began to leak again.

"Sweetie, have you tried calling him?"

"No, he said not to. You read it. I'm not giving him the satisfaction of being the begging girlfriend."

"Jane, it wouldn't be begging. It would be you being the adult in the relationship. You deserve a reason why he just left you high and dry."

Jane shook her head, "I just thought- I mean- I've never been so happy with a man. I-I thought he was happy too," she shut her laptop shut. She didn't delete the email.

Elizabeth didn't know how to comfort her. This wasn't the usual go to hell party. Maybe in a week, but not now. This seemed more like a goodbye. Elizabeth had never been good with goodbyes. The microwave went off and she jumped up, "The ice cream!"

She came back with two spoons, the carton of ice cream and the hot fudge. "I think it's melted a bit"

"That's okay. Just bring it over. I think I need something to help me think straight."

"And nothing does that better then Rocky Road. What's health food?"

Jane slid off the couch and sat on the floor cross-legged with Elizabeth following suit. "Any countdowns on?" Jane asked.

"Hmm, let me check."

While Elizabeth was fiddling with the remote, Jane was struggling with the lid to the ice cream, "I think it melted to the carton." She yanked it off, the ice cream sloshing out all over the purple cotton skirt she was wearing. She swore in French. Jane rarely spoke French in front of Elizabeth, she said she felt bad speaking a language Elizabeth barely knew, even though Elizabeth said she loved to hear it. Even on the phone to her parents, she spoke English when Elizabeth was around. Elizabeth looked over. Jane had her head in her hands, dripping with ice cream. She was crying again.

"Hey, hey. Don't worry about it I'll clean it up. Here give me your skirt and I'll put it in the wash."

"No, no. I think I will just nap. I just need to clear my head."

Elizabeth reached over the spilled ice cream and gave Jane a hug, "I love you."

Elizabeth found it easy to hate Charlie now. "He's a jerk and if he's left you and told you in a little pathetic email, he never deserved to breathe the same air you do."

Jane squeezed her back and stood up. "Thanks Lizzy"

"You're always taking care of me. I'll take of you now. When you wake up, I'll have dinner ready and I'll go rent a movie and we'll do what ever you want."

They both looked down at a tiny meow at their feet. Groovy had sauntered over to lick up the ice cream.Elizabeth scooped up the tiny ball of grey fur and rested him in Jane's arms, smiling what she hoped was reassuringly. Jane gave her weak smile back and shuffled to her room.

………………………………………………

Jane for the next week swept herself slowly out of her minor breakdown. She took in each stage of grief swiftly and moved on to the next one flawlessly, sprinkling each with a fit of crying. The crying didn't make Elizabeth as nervous as it did the first time and it only served to make Elizabeth love her friend even more dearly, as she proved to be a messy, emotion-ridden human like herself. The each ate their share of the five gallons of ice cream Elizabeth bought (Jane's breakup was Elizabeth's breakup) and both called took their turns star69ing Charlie's phone and hanging up. Elizabeth even called George's phone a couple times, just for good measure. They gave their 'women rule the world' pep talks to each other before work and 'reasons why boys suck' speeches over margaritas at night. All in all, Elizabeth was feeling pretty good about her self esteem and hoped Jane's was also ballooning. She ignored Darcy the next week, too. Not because she really thought he had anything to do with Charlie's sudden change of heart and turn to jerkiness, but out of loyalty to Jane. A friend of Charlie's was an enemy of hers. At least until Jane stopped crying in the middle of sautéing chicken. Whatever her faults, she wasn't one to hold a grudge for very long, especially for being someone's friend.

Jane seemed to be returning back to herself again. "I feel like I am over him, Lizzy, I really do." She handed a cup of mint tea to her.

Elizabeth took it and set it down on the kitchen table. "Jane, it's okay not to be. It's only been two weeks."

"No, no. I don't want to waste my sorrow on him. It's been two weeks with no word from him. And if I'm not over him, I'm going to make myself be. I don't believe he deserves my time anymore. No more crying while shampooing my hair. No more staring at the phone. I _want_ to be over him. I want to be normal again."

Elizabeth smiled brightly, "Then I want to help you. Even if you want to go clubbing."

Jane laughed lightly, "I don't know if I'm that depressed that I would drag you clubbing. You're a terrible dancer."

"What? No I'm not. Says who?"

"Says your mom."

"Jane, I know you're grieving, but you still can't get away with 'your mom' jokes."

"No, I'm not joking. Last year at Christmas, you were dancing to 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' and your mom turned to me and the very good looking sons of your neighbor and said, "She has other talents, I'm sure, but dancing isn't one of them". I remember, I laughed."

"You laughed?"

"It was funny because I looked at you and you were doing these stiff, jerky movements. I thought you and your mom had planned it."

Elizabeth blushed, "They weren't stiff, jerky movements- they were movements of profound grace and fluidity,"

"No, I know. Right after the jerky thing," Jane smiled into her mug full of tea.

"Man, she said that in front Grey, too? That's why he forgot to give me his number," she remembered her own tea and started spooning mounds of sugar into it.

"Did he offer it to you?"

Elizabeth scowled, "No, but I could tell he wanted to"

"Until 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree'," Jane laughed. Elizabeth's heart swelled to hear her make a joke again.

"Until your mom."

"You, mean your mom."

"Right."

"So, I haven't asked you for awhile. What's the deal with the Darcenator?

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose, "You mean Darcy? No, we're not at a nickname stage yet."

"Well, do you like him? Having any new feelings? Unexpected feelings? "

"No, just the usual. We haven't talked much lately."

"Lizzy, not because of Charlie? He doesn't have anything to do with that situation."

"I know, I know. But there is that whole George thing."

"George is bastard actor," Jane pointed out.

"I know, but that doesn't excuse Darcy," she went to take a sip of her tea, but cried out a little went it burnt her tongue, "It's still hot," she explained and then returned to the conversation on hand, "Anyway, once a cheater, always a cheater."

"Darcy didn't cheat. The wife did."

"Same thing. He cheated on his friend. The whole thing sounds pretty sinister to me…but George is so dramatic. He probably exaggerated some details.

"Probably, because I just couldn't imagine Darcy doing something like that."

"Jane, sometimes I think you wouldn't think anyone capable of doing something truly bad."

"That's not true. I just see people's good side over their bad side," Jane smiled, "That's all there is to it," she joked knowing it wasn't so easy for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Oh, that's all there is to it, huh?" she said sarcastically.

…………………………………..

Saturday morning Elizabeth's cell rang, a little too early for her. She answered without reading the caller id, her eyes still bleary with sleep.

"Hey, man, it's still 9:30," she managed to groggle out.

"Lizzy! Is that you?" A loud British accent boomed, wide awake.

Elizabeth's eyes became a little less bleary, "Felix! What's up! Why are you calling so early?"

"Liz, darling, it's not that early. I thought you'd be happy to see your long lost friend."

Elizabeth's forehead crinkled in confusion, "See you? You wish. Where are you?"

"Your place of residence, where else?"

"You're in Philly!"

"Do you live somewhere else?"

"Shut up. What are you doing here all the way from….?" Lizzy realized she didn't know where Felix lived.

"Only New York. I'm just a two hour drive away. Didn't you know that?"

"Oh, wait. Now I remember. I read that in the brochure they sent me about you."

"Now, it's my turn to say shut up. I've been crashing with Darcy for the past couple years, actually. Except, since he moved it might actually be my place now," he trailed off, apparently thinking, "Anyway, we haven't quite figured out the ligistics yet. But now, I'm helping with the bloody company here."

"Not a fan of the company?"

"Not a fan of working, really. But it's just for a couple of weeks, or months or whenever Darcy let's me off the hook. I'm at his disposal."

Elizabeth snorted, "He seems to have that effect on people."

"You including?

"No. Not me"

"So you're going to come meet me then?"

Elizabeth grinned, "Just tell me when."

…………………………………….

Felix met her outside of the Philadelphia Art Museum at dusk, the spicy August heat slightly evaporating with sinking sun. He held out his hand as she approached him, jogging up the short stacked stone stairs.

"Rocky fan?" she asked, embracing him.

"Who isn't?"

Elizabeth laughed and turned to retreat from the looming museum. But Felix sat down, patting the space beside him. "Dinner reservations aren't until eight."

"Oh, reservations. Where? I feel like we're on some secret date."

He waggled his eyebrows, "Maybe we are."

Elizabeth only laughed, stretching her legs and relishing the breeze that was picking up.

"Cuba Libre. You like Cuban food?"

"Sure"

They sat there for a moment in amicable silence, watching the departing sun.

Felix turned to her, "How do like doing school with Darcy?"

"It's all right. He's a good a tutor. Better then I could have very imagined."

"Yeah, he likes kids and stuff," Felix shrugged, "Like you?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment. She wasn't usually asked this question. People usually just assumed. "Well, I got my teaching license as way to pay for my graduate degree. I picked high school because they were the oldest. But I really like it, I do. Especially at these crappy schools," she waved her hand towards the south, "It's harder than I ever imagined it would be. It's an uphill slope everyday…but the reward is incredible. If even one kid gets it, I think that's all I need. Sometimes it's feels too hard, but it's worth it, you know?"

Felix smiled lazily, "Like life…like love."

Elizabeth nodded, "Everything's a metaphor for love."

"Love is a metaphor for everything. We're all entangled in it. It's the root of life."

Elizabeth sighed, thinking of her own past, "Or all our problems"

"Maybe your problems," he grinned.

"What? Are you in love? Requited love?"

"Always."

"Lucky. Love seems to always be eluding me. I have too many problems with love to wrap my life in it anymore."

"So disillusioned already," Felix gently mocked.

Elizabeth shrugged.

"Everybody has problems. If you can't see it, others will see it for you," Felix replied to her shrug.

"What do you mean?"

"Well- Darcy- you know Darcy," Felix stopped and Elizabeth rolled her eyes. He went on, "His friend was in a bit of a situation with his girlfriend. They were getting really serious, well his friend was. I mean marriage was on the table. But the girl was apparently using the poor wanker for a green card or something. It was very tragic for him, but Darcy saved him from whatever the bird had planned for him."

Elizabeth connected the dots quickly. Blood poured into Elizabeth's ears, roaring. Her head swishing around thought after thought. "Wait. Wait. Who was the girl? Who was the friend?" But it was a futile question. How many friends could Darcy have with immigrant girlfriends that had just broken up?

"He wouldn't tell me. He can be very private when he wants to be."

"Yeah," was all Elizabeth could manage. She looked out to a fountain where kids with dripping clothes were splashing passerbys.

"Well, we better be off before our table is taken."

…………………………………………………….

Elizabeth spent the rest of the night warding off the flood of frustration and anger that was threatening to spill over. But she just couldn't believe it. Why would he? Where would he even get the idea from? How could anyone possibly be so presumptuous and egotistical? How could he just ruin Jane's relationship like that, without a second thought, like he some all-knowing god or something? She couldn't handle it, she really couldn't handle it. And she wasn't telling Jane. She was already crushed enough. She didn't need to know Charlie left was because of the issue of her green card. Her green card! When there was no question she would be able to renew it easily. Why? Why?

She ducked out dinner early, feigning a headache. She just needed time to sort everything out. A mess stood before her that she felt responsible for, but she had no idea how to it straighten it out.

…………………………………………

Oh man, thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate them all. And just to clear it up: Felix is Colonel Fitzwilliam. Darcy's cousin. I really took liberties with his character. Anyway, it's really, really, really hot and I'm going away for a few days….so updates might be slow, but not that slow because I have a deadline on this. The secret's out. I want to finish this by the 25th… because then I go back to school and I know I won't do anything with this if I don't finish it now. So, who knows, tomorrow I might have the next chapter up. I have a lot of it written. And yes, it's the "proposal scene" (not the easiest thing to write, but I'm trying).


	11. That Was Your Whole Soul?

_In spite of her deeply-rooted dislike, she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man's affection, and though her intentions did not vary for an instant, she was at first sorry for the pain he was to receive; till, roused to resentment by his subsequent language, she lost all compassion in anger... He _spoke_ of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security. (ch. 34)_

Chapter 11- That Was Your Whole Soul?

Elizabeth's alarm woke her up blearing loudly at 6:30 am. She shut it off and groaned, tossing a pillow on to her head. Friday. She was going to have to see Darcy. Jane was still clueless about the whole fiasco and she still hadn't decided what she was going to do. She finally dragged herself out of bed, forcing herself to be an adult and go to work and be civil to Darcy.

She met a scrub-clad Jane in the kitchen pouring orange juice.

"Did you just get home?"

Jane yawned and handed her the glass of orange juice, "Yeah, a horse was in labor for twelve hours. It was one of those horses that pull the carriages," she trotted in place a little, demonstrating. Elizabeth nodded. "How it got pregnant no one knows," she shrugged, "Strange how some things happen"

Elizabeth only nodded again, sipping the tart liquid.

Jane yawned again and started shuffling to their lavender hallway. Somehow their hallway had morphed from a cool white with a hint of purple to bright, budding lavender. Elizabeth swallowed the nagging feeling to tell Jane the truth- the nagging feeling that had been her constant companion the last couple days since she had seen Felix. She opened her mouth and then shut it again. She wasn't ready to face it yet. Jane must have mixed the juice with extra guilt because that was all her stomach was twisting with as she mumbled, 'good night' to Jane.

She got through the day with more bouts of guilt and apprehension. Was she suppose to act angry towards him? Or just blurt everything she knew? Should she even try to set it right or tell what was truly going on? She wanted to bring him down from the apparent throne he placed himself on, but she didn't know if that was the right thing to. Maybe she should just play the ice queen. Summer school was over after this week. Perhaps the best way through this was too repress her opinions for once. Just try and keep her mouth shut. She could do that, she could. And she did, until he forced her to relent everything she had been stifling the whole summer.

She had been managing to play the role of cool ice queen from the time he arrived. She sat at her desk and blocked his gravely voice. She didn't look up as he made a painfully shy girl, Mariah, giggle. It was easy to do this, she only had to remember broken-hearted Jane, and commitment-phobe George and him blurting, 'you look terrible' to her. And that one time he didn't have any candy for her. She only wished she didn't have so much work to do. Usually she would have been gone by now, but she had had a faculty meeting right after school and now she had to fill out some census forms for the school. Plus, there was still a pile of essays to go through and edit with firm but encouraging comments.

As six o' clock rolled around she could help but over hear Darcy's conversation with the last girl remaining, Toni.

"No I ain't goin' to go do anything bad tonight. Just stay home with my mom and watch tv or somethin'," she was saying to Darcy.

"Toni, come on no ain't's in this room. Only…," he trailed off supposedly so she could supply the answer.

"Whatev, I'm not doin' it in my essays no more. But if you don't want me to say ain't to you I won't."

Darcy laughed, "I don't care how speak to me, just don't write it."

"So what're you doing tonight? You got some skinny white girlfriend?"

"No," he lowered his voice, "Well, not yet." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. It was probably Carrie, she was skinny enough. Not that she was jealous or anything. She could do without all her vertebrae being visible.

"Oh, good for you. Go tap that. I'm sure no one's going to say no to you. You got a nice car?"

Darcy shrugged, "It's regular."

"That's what I like. Guys with nice cars. Unless they sellin' for it."

"Good idea," Darcy nodded and started to get up from his chair pulled up at Toni's desk.

"Wait, I just got one more question."

"Sure, ask away."

"In the story with the kid and the red bird? Did the bird mean somethin'? I mean, the story wasn't just about a bird, right?" she opened the wide book on her desk, pointing.

"No, it wasn't just about a bird. And your text book tells you what they think it means, but really that's not important. Most of time I wouldn't take to heart what the book tells, except for your tests," Elizabeth almost spoke up, to disagree, but she was supposedly concentrating on her work.

But he went on, leaning back in his chair, "What really matters is what the bird meant to you. If you felt the bird meant something, obviously it made you think of something. That's all that counts, is what _you_ think."

Toni nodded and thought. Elizabeth was impressed with the relationship Darcy had with her. If it was Elizabeth trying to get her to decipher the story, Toni would be rolling her eyes and begging 'to just tell me the answer'.

"I think it means love. But not like boyfriend/girlfriend…like family. Like your mom. It's strong and you think it can be there no matter what, even in a big storm…but it can't, I guess," she looked embarrassed, "Whatever, I don't know."

"No, no, that's right. That's good. That's how you write your tenth grade papers next year. Just find clues in the story that tells you that and write about it. You'll get an A."

She shrugged it off and looked at her nails, but Elizabeth could see the smile on her face, "Yeah, maybe. But I gotta go now, before my mom gets home from work."

Darcy got up and reached into his laptop case, pulling out an orange wrapped candy, "Here's a Reese's. Don't tell your mom."

"Aight. Bye, Mr. Darcy"

She left and Elizabeth quickly shuffled some papers around, scanning them. Darcy coughed loudly and loomed over Elizabeth's desk. She trained her eyes on the words scratched on the paper in front of her, ignoring him and praying silently that he would leave. Instead he reached over and lightly touched her shoulder. She had to acknowledge him now. She looked up. "You working too hard for a Friday," he said softly.

She shrugged helplessly.

"Do you want to take a break?"

"Of course I want to. But I can't," she gestured to the stack of papers in front of her.

"I think you should. Come take a walk with me."

"Uhh, Darcy, I really should be finishing up here."

He made a face, "Finish up on the weekend."

"Sorry, I like to sleep in on the weekends."

"No, really, come with me."

"No, really, I need to work."

"Elizabeth," he posed her name almost as a warning.

"Darcy…" she groaned, "Fine, fine." Then immediately kicked herself for giving in. Ice queens do not go on walks. What could she possibly talk about with him and still keep her temper in check?

Her worries were in vain it turned out. Darcy didn't have much to say besides some vague comments on the weather, the students and a question if Jane and she were doing okay. Elizabeth wanted to shout, 'no, Jane is not okay! Because of your stupid pig-headed interferences'. But she only nodded decorously and mumbled, "yes, thanks'.

They approached a bridge overlooking the river. Darcy said something about liking water and Elizabeth nodded in response, thinking if he liked water so much he should have stayed on his little island. But she stayed quiet, gazing as the river lazily flowing under the stone bridge. She leaned over the side to look over the edge and squeezed her eyes shut, whishing Darcy away.

Suddenly his hand was on the small of her back, "Hey. Don't fall."

She made a face, "Are you concerned?"

He lowered his head near hers and his brow creased, "A little."

His serious tone made her come back up fast, his hand still on her back. "Woah, I'm dizzy. Next time-" She was caught off by lips. His lips and their pressure over her own mouth. He was kissing her on her mouth and now a little more on her bottom lip, with his tongue lightly tracing it. The blood was still rushing from her head and if it was possible, she was becoming even more lightheaded. She collapsed against him and taking this as good sign, his kiss became firmer. His palm lightly cupped her jaw, his long fingers splayed on her neck. His touch was so light; his fingertips were like feathers teasing her skin, swishing calmly over the heavy beat of the pulse in her neck. His scent overwhelmed her as she always knew it would. He was a good kisser as she always imagined he would be. Her own lips began to move against his. It was hard not to just…It felt so…And it was so…so…arrogant. Cold water ran through her suddenly. She pushed him away. He just kissed her out of the blue! Like he knew she would be just wanting him so badly. Bad enough that he didn't even have to confirm if a kiss was okay or not or even ask her out first. What signals could he have possibly been getting from her?

He stepped away from her, "Elizabeth," he croaked hoarsly. He took a deep breath in, "Elizabeth. I want you. I want you so much. I want you to be with me. I just…well, I like you. A lot. You're not like anyone I would have ever considered before, especially in New York. You're, well you know how you are-"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, "Wait, I'm sorry. I'm not very clear on how I am."

"Well, I mean you're you. You're kind of a…spaz. And sarcastic. And so… ordinary. There's something about you that draws me to you-- in spite of these things, or because of them. But I am, I'm drawn to you. I think about you in taxis and I daydream about you during meetings. And I want to be around you. Even if I can't stand your sarcasm. And then there is the issue with, well, the society I keep and the position of my family. But it's becoming agony to not have you.

Elizabeth head was filled with swishing blood and it wasn't because she was lightheaded. Oh, no she was thinking very clearly now.

"Darcy, I'm sorry, but I just don't have the same feelings for you. I couldn't possibly," she let out an edgy laugh.

He stood there, his face bunched in confusion. "Is that all you're going to say to me? That's it? I just poured my soul out here and that's all you're going to say? How about an explanation?"

Elizabeth was boiling, "Your soul? That was your whole soul?" she let out a crisp laugh, "That you _want _me? Despite- what? Some petty issues that you've made into the things you revolve your life around. So yeah, I would rather not be with someone who's embarrassed to be with me. Especially when there's nothing to be embarrassed about," she gave him a look, a look she had learned from the girls in her ninth grade class. She almost snapped her fingers at him. She should have.

"Come on Elizabeth-"

"No, you come on. I have other reasons too. You know what I'm talking about."

He just stood there. Clueless. He just stood there!

"Jane."

"What about Jane?"

"Oh, just the fact that she's heartbroken because of what you did. Why would you even put the green card issue into Charlie's head? What kind of arrogant jerk ruins a relationship that we're all jealous of with something they no nothing about?"

He didn't answer.

"You- you Darcy, you are the arrogant jerk. You broke up a couple that was truly in love. Your misconstrued, bitter mind made up some fantasy idea and influenced something you should have never touched.

"I didn't fantasize it. I overheard you and her discussing the issue of her expiring visa. And then you moved right on to marriage. What was I suppose to think?"

"Um, maybe 'I shouldn't be eavesdropping on a conversation I have no business in participating in? Jeez, Darcy, Jane has a solid career as a vet here, all she has to do is renew her visa and she'll be fine. It's not like she's some bum. And the marriage thing was a joke. We joke around, if you haven't noticed. And then there's George. Wickham."

"George? George Wickham? Are you kidding me?" he groaned, "How do you even know that jackass? How could he have any place in this?"

"Not that it's something you should feel bothered to be included in, but we went out a couple times. He had some pretty revealing things to say about you. Is it in your best friend ethics to sleep with the wives and then lead their divorce?"

Darcy groaned. "I'm not even going to allow him the pleasure of discussing that with you. He deserved everything he got."

"You are so conceited-"

"Elizabeth, that guy deserves no explanation. If you would just calm down, we could go to dinner and I could-"

"No. You came to Philadelphia, congratulating yourself on how down to earth you are and, and, how _normal_ you are, all the while you're the same as everyone else. You're the same as every other trust fund baby. Conceited, arrogant…the complete opposite of down-to-earth. And you can forget about me being your nice, subservient, little girlfriend because that's not me.

He took a step closer, gently grabbing her arm, "Elizabeth, what are you talking about?"

She swallowed and took a big step back, she didn't want smell whatever cologne he was wearing, "You know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about your need for some simple girl to make you feel good about yourself all the time. Because for them it's just some blessing to be with you." She took a step back, pulling her sweater across her chest.

"Oh, no, no, no." He said softly, "Elizabeth, I really like you. Just you. You must know, though, that there are women out there a lot more suitable for me. I mean-

Elizabeth let a short, frustrated shout, "I don't think you have any idea how much I dislike you. And why is all summed up into what your doing now. Brushing everything I say off. Brushing _everyone_ off. But I'm not letting you throw your weight around. I'm leaving, Darcy. I have to go." She left abruptly, leaving Darcy standing by a bridge lit with the blazing setting sun, alone.

…………………………….

We're over the major hump! The proposal, I think is the milestone in any fic…regency or modern, so I'm quite proud of myself because I never imagined myself getting this far. But, I sincerely hope my version of Darcy's heart pouring didn't disappoint anyone too bad. I know how devastating it is for someone to totally mess up their favorite part of a book. I debated a kiss or not, but finally went with it, because I thought it was more modern, I guess. Guys are always trying to get on you before you even know what they're thinking. Whatever. So review! I'm going up to the mountains for a couple days to hike and camp and swim in lakes, so no computers, but I truly hope I come back with at least 20 more reviews. JK, JK. No pressure.


	12. A Little Less Drama, Please

_"But it is not merely this affair," she continued, "on which my dislike is founded. Long before it had taken place my opinion of you was decided." (ch. 35)_

Chapter 12- A Little Less Drama, Please

In the sixth grade, Elizabeth had her first boyfriend. It was an unexpected romance that began at lunchtime when he offered her an ice cream snickers and ended shortly the next day when he offered Cassie Rosenbaum an ice cream Butterfinger. Since then, Elizabeth's luck with relationships had been less then shimmering. Her last boyfriend, Michael Fir, well, that relationship was a bad fit from beginning to end. The only thing that they had in common was their lack of time and dedication to their studies. But this was only realized after he had left her high and dry at her graduation party. Parents waiting for the boyfriend that never showed up. Her first love she thought, as she sobbed in the first floor bathroom, finally receiving the voicemail that ended it all.

She wasn't sure now if that was love. Every failed relationship questioned her belief of what love really was. She knew what it was to be a loving daughter, a loving sibling, a loving friend. A lover, in general, she was still grasping at the definition. She was starting to feel left behind in the race to mature to that definition, as her friends married her other friends and she was still left without a committed relationship in sight. She felt like she wanted it though, even if she couldn't describe what it was she wanted in any coherent words.

Summer school was over and the weekend was quickly melting into the week. She had only two weeks before her own classed started again. She would have to start working on her thesis soon. She should do a little research now. But she then she'd have to leave her bed. Why should she? She had everything she needed, food, tv, books. And she was fully clothed and showered. No need to use hygiene as an excuse.

She shouldn't have gotten back into bed in the first place she thought. She should at least be out. At the library, the mall, anywhere. She had already spent an entire day in her room, watching sappy romantic comedies, she didn't need to do that for another day. She groaned tossing a paperback romance novel across the room. Shake it off, Shake it off, she said to herself. Do like Mariah Carey. The problem was she didn't know what making her drag. Okay, that's a lie. It was probably Darcy's outpouring of his soul. And that stupid kiss…that she had enjoyed too much for her own good. Oh, and all the nasty things that she said to him. But he deserved that, right? Because of all the terrible things that he had done. Puh, she thought, he deserved everything he got.

She lounged around for the rest of the day, feeling sorry for herself and more unreasonable and conflicting feelings then she could manage.

Jane had left for Paris yesterday, to visit family and clear her mind. Apparently Charlie's sister was there at the moment too, and Jane was planning a visit to "investigate", as she put it. But while Jane was in Paris, Elizabeth was stuck in Philadelphia left to wallow in her mind. She thought about going up to New York for a couple of days, but walking around midtown, alone, made her cringe. She would end up shopping all day and spend too much.

She could go see the family. Oh, the family. In other families, a couple days would be a couple days. You chat, you eat, you play a little badminton. A couple days with the Bennetts was like a couple years. Not that it was boring . It was the opposite to the power of thirty. Elizabeth's family contained three younger sisters and two bickering parents. Her father was burrowed in his study most of the time, while her mother flitted like a bird from room to room calling for whatever daughter's name came to her first. All three of her sisters still lived at home. Lydia was the youngest as seventeen, then it was Kitty who had just turned eighteen and then Mary who was twenty and commuting to Ursinus College. They were loud, they fought a lot, they teased a lot. Her family was a handful, but the only place that could drive her to complete distraction.

……………………

Elizabeth walked into the purple Victorian house, plopping her bags on the sagging porch. "Mom?" she called out to a seemingly empty house. She walked towards the kitchen where her mother was perched at the island with the t.v. on in the backround, reading some celebrity magazine. "Mom! I'm here,"

Mrs. Bennett looked up at her, her red hair frazzled around her head, "Lizzy! Oh, Lizzy, what a surprise! What are you doing here!"

Elizabeth gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, "Mom, I called yesterday and the day before that to tell you I was coming. Remember? Just until Sunday."

"Oh, Lizzy. Don't play games. Now, you can drop in whenever you'd like, I don't mind the surprise. No need to tell stories."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but played along, "Thanks, Mom."

"Sunday!" she trilled on, "Fabulous. The Annesley's are having some end of summer barbcue on Saturday. I'm not sure what's that about, though. Labor Day is just around the corner. Probably wants me to put it on because we have the pool. I think her daughter is coming down then. She's always trying to set her up with Grey. He's a doctor, Lizzy," she gave her a pointed look, "Just go drop your stuff down in the bedroom. I have to go pick up your sisters from school in an hour and I wanted to go to the store and get dinner for tonight, now that you're here. You really should tell me when your coming, Honey, because of dinner and all. I guess we'll just have to suffer through take- out," Mrs. Bennett sighed dramatically. However, Elizabeth knew for a fact that they suffered through take-out at least four times a week.

Elizabeth ran upstairs and threw her duffle bag in "her" room, which was actually the guest room now. Any traces of her were kept in frames hung on the walls.

She came down stairs to see her mother with her pearls and lipstick on over her yellow tee-shirt that depicted a pair of rabbits nuzzling over a carrot. Not matter what she was wearing, if she was going out she had pearls and lipstick on.

"Come on, Lizzy. Lydia is always on my case for being late to pick her up."

"So tell her to ride the bus."

Mrs. Bennett looked at her in shock, "You know she could never ride the bus. She has a boyfriend now. I'm not sure of his name, but I really wish you and Mary could follow suit. Now, I'm not expecting marriage or anything, but a shadow of try would be encouraging for your mom. Emma's son's are sure to be around this weekend, speaking of. All doctors, very successful. Hunter has been asking about you."

"Mom, he's thirty-six and divorced. I'm only twenty-five, I'm still able to get unused goods." The fact was Hunter was very good-looking. Divorced, but no children. But under no circumstances was she going to let her mother set her up.

"Yes, dear, but once married, twice… as easy."

"I believe you were searching for 'shy', mom."

"No, no. He's far from shy," she shook her head gestured for her to get in the car, "In fact…" And so continued their conversation of potential future-husbands for Elizabeth until parked in front of Longbourn High School, Kitty clamoring to get in with a pout on her face and Lydia smooching with her boyfriend for longer then necessary until Elizabeth reached across her mother and layed on the horn. Mrs, Bennett shot her a look.

"What? It's gross. You can't be hoping she's going to get married at seventeen?"

"Of course not, but I always hated it when my mom was so pushy about me to get away from boys. I hate to ruin blossoming love." Elizabeth only rolled her eyes and turned to her sister in the back seat.

"Hey, Kitty. How's school."

Kitty shrugged, "I got cut from the poms squad." Kitty was a cute girl with wavy auburn hair and freckles. Out of all the sisters, she looked the most like Elizabeth.

"Oh, that sucks. But I'm sure you're just too good. That happens too, you know." Kitty's eyed brightened, "That's what Denny said."

"Who's Denny?"

"A boy I'm dating."

"I thought you were with some guy named Carter?"

"Eww, That was last week, Lizzy."

"You guys are so boy crazy. I had like maybe one boyfriend in high school…for a week!"

Mrs. Bennett cut in, "And now look where you are!"

"Living in Philadelphia with a nice apartment, a fulfilling career, and a doctorate on the horizon?

"No boyfriend! No husband!"

Kitty interjected, "I like Lizzy's life,"

Elizabeth beamed at her, "See?"

"I never said your life wasn't great. Every mother just hopes for someone to take care of her daughter before she passes."

"Well, you're not passing anytime soon, so you can't stop worrying about it for awhile."

Lydia approached the car and squealed, "Lizzy!" she gave her a hug climbed in the backseat, shoving her bag on Kitty. Kitty was older by a year, but you couldn't tell by the way Lydia bossed Kitty around. Or by her looks. Lydia looked older then seventeen- this fact worried Elizabeth constantly, especially since Lydia had a tendency to get into trouble.

"Girl, what are you doing here? What a surprise!"

"You guys, I left you a message on the house phone that I was coming and texted all three of you. I mean I actually talked to mom two days ago about this."

"Hey, sorry, technology isn't always reliable"

"Whatever," Elizabeth smiled at her sister," When's Mary coming home?"

"She'll probably be there when we get back," responded shortly, "Did you see that guy I was with? Dawson?"

"Yeah, could you lay off the PDA?"

"Whatever. I think I'm going to dump him"

"Lydia," Mrs. Bennett started to interject.

Lydia ignored her and smeared some lipgloss on her bottom lip, "Did you see that guy talking to that blonde skanky girl?"

"No," Elizabeth responded and grabbed her lipgloss from her to use.

Lydia shrugged, "Well, that's Rupert. We use to date, and if Maria thinks that she can just chat him up like that, she's wrong. I think I'm going to go for him again. It was fun before. Dawson is a little too attached."

Elizabeth couldn't believe her sister was one of the girls she had always made fun of, "Mom, you can't let her act like this."

"Act like what?" Lydia cried.

Elizabeth made a knowing face, "I'm sure you're reputation is not pretty."

"Hey, I don't sleep around or anything. I just like to have a good time."

"Well, try studying a little too or your going to end up twenty with three kids."

Lydia folded her arms and looked out the window, "There's nothing wrong with having kids. I don't even want to go to college. Why should I waste all that time if I just want to stay home with my kids."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

Suddenly Lydia shouted, "Stop!"

Mrs. Bennett snapped her head towards the backseat and then back towards the road again, "What? What is it?"

"I want to go to Starbucks!"

"Jeez, Lydia a little less drama, please," Elizabeth slumped in the front seat.

"My nerves. My nerves," Mrs. Bennett moaned in the front seat, "Do you girls know why I have to get my hair done every two weeks? It's the little gray hairs you give me every time you shout and fight. No one has any compassion for my nerves. We're not going to Starbucks. We're getting dinner right now. You're not going get some ice cream coffee thing and then say you're not eating anything. If people are going to say anything about me as a mother, it's that I raised you girls to take care of your selves. When I was a girl my mother didn't care about that sort of stuff. Well, at the time people didn't really know. My mother drank the whole she was with me, girls. You know, Louisa Hurst, from across the road? Her son…" She chatted on. Elizabeth turned around and made faces imitating their mother for Kitty and Lydia. They laughed loudly. Mrs. Bennett only went on about a point that none of the girls could distinguish, oblivious.

…………………………………

When they finally arrived home after a long and loud dispute in the New Emperor's Palace over veggie or beef lo mien, the noise didn't end. Elizabeth hoped that the calming effect of home would catch on, but she knew better. Kitty and Lydia stormed into the house arguing about some boy at school, while their mother shouted for Mary as loud as humanly possible while simultaneously calling for their father to come out and eat. It really was an amazing and honorable feat, if you weren't a daughter praying not to turn out like her mother.

Mary clobbered down the stairs and Elizabeth heard the study door creak open tentatively. "What's on the menu?" she heard her father call. Elizabeth skipped down the hall, "Dad!" Her dad was getting old, his hair had totally turned grey and his smile lines were more prevalent than ever.

"Lizzy is that you?" He held his arms open.

"Yup," she hugged him

"Fantastic. Now we'll have some intelligent conversation for the dinner table tonight."

"Lydia's boy troubles aren't the stuff of Aristotle?" Her father had been a philosophy major. Now he was a lawyer, a profession he loathed and in result was never quite successful at it.

He shook his head, "I'm just not sure how I've managed to raise three of the silliest girls I've ever known. Well, besides your mother of course."

"I heard that," her mother cried.

"Oh, Darling, you know how silly you are," he said in off-hand manner.

"I only know how silly you are. I don't know why you can't remember to take out the garbage before the truck comes," she pointed outside to where, presumably, the garbage cans weren't.

"You never remind me."

"Remind you? I don't need reminding to do all the work I do around this house. You don't appreciate me at all. You think a fairy comes and picks up your daughters and makes dinner?" She pouted and took out the cartons from the paper bag.

"No, but I thought a nice Chinese family made my dinner tonight," he smirked

"Well, someone had to pick it up. Really, I-"

"I really appreciate it, darling. I owe you my life," he kissed on the cheek and Mrs. Bennett smiled and that was the end of it.

Dinner was loud and, of course, full of arguments. There was an odd number of egg rolls- big mistake and the proper etiquette of the taking and partaking of fortune cookies was much disputed. Then the fact the trash hadn't been taken out had to be revisited. Mary wanted to play her new piece she just learned on the piano for everyone, but that idea was quickly shot down. Mary's dry comments were made in more abundance after that, as a sort of punishment. Finally after dessert and playing a gut-wrenching game of Scrabble with the whole family, Elizabeth went outside to sit on the porch.

Five minutes later all her sisters were out there with cherry popsicles. They went out to lay in the grass, all right in row, looking towards the sky. "How's life, Mary?" Elizabeth asked.

"You know. Alright. Practicing." Mary was a music major, but her talent took longer to coax out then others.

"Mary has a boyfriend!" Lydia shouted.

"I do not."

"Do you?" Elizabeth asked, kindly.

Mary scowled at Lydia, "No. We're just friends"

"Friends with benefits. I totally saw you guys making out last week." She turned to Elizabeth, who was laying on her right side, "They were on the porch."

"Whatever."

Elizabeth reached over Kitty to pat Mary's hand, "Mary, if you have a boyfriend it's okay."

"I don't know. We're just hanging out. The making out part just kinda happened."

"More then once?"

Mary shrugged and blushed.

Elizabeth left her off the hook.

"Aww, man. I drooped my popsicle on my shirt," Kitty whined. Elizabeth looked over at the huge cherry stain on the front of her white tank top.

Lydia laughed, "You would."

"Your mom would," Kitty grumbled.

"We have the same mom, Gaywad."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "You guys. Stop fighting for one second."

"How was the wedding Lizzy?" Mary asked over Lydia's and Kitty's bickering.

"Mom was so mad that you went," Kitty input, still wiping at her shirt.

"You're going to make it worse. Anyway, I don't care. Mary, you should have come too."

"Yeah right, I still have to live in this house."

"I heard that you had a date," Lydia said in a sing-song voice to Elizabeth.

"What? No. Who told you that?"

"Collins' mom told Aunt Helena, who told mom. She said you were all over some rich guy."

"I wasn't all over him. I barely was with him the whole night. And how do they know if he had money or not? It's like they have these special-"

"Mom calls it ambitious guy radar. We know she means wealthy," Mary provided and then shrugged, "She were born with it. I think it's a generational thing."

"So, who was the guy?" Lydia asked.

"Oh. No one. Jane's boyfriend's friend"

"Do you like him?" Kitty questioned eagerly.

"No actually I hate him"

Lydia wrinkled her nose, "Does he like you?"

"Well- no, I really haven't seen him a lot."

"What's his name?" Mary threw her popsicle stick into the flower bed.

"Darcy. Fitzwilliam Darcy"

Lydia gasped, "No way. He totally dated Paris Hilton once."

"How do you know that?"

She shrugged, "T.V."

"Lizzy, he's, like, really, really cute. And kinda famous," Kitty pointed out.

"I know but-"

"But what?"

Elizabeth sighed, debating whether to tell them the whole story. She decided against it, there wasn't any point, "Nothing. We don't really see a lot of each other."

Elizabeth got up and brushed herself off, "I think I'm going to watch Dirty Dancing. Do you guys want to?"

They all bounded into the living room.

……………………………………………….

That night Darcy came over, right as Elizabeth was going to bed. She had just turned off the television. Her face was freshly scrubbed and she had an old blue tank top on and green striped pajama bottoms. There was a light knock and her mind went straight to him. When she answered the door, she felt no surprise at his being there, only the familiar guilt tinged with anger. He came in without an invitation, in blue fleece pants and a white long sleeved tee shirt, dressed for bed. His hair already slept in. He stood in the hallway lit only by a low sitting nightlight and waited for Elizabeth to speak. His presence in the narrow hallway made her swallow thickly, the air feeling heady and tinged electrically with lazy excitement.

She felt self-conscious of her bare face. "I've already washed my face. Don't make fun of me"

Darcy took a long breath in and casually studied her face. He finally spoke, smoothing his fingers across her nose to her cheek, "No, I won't make fun of you." He moved his lips against the hollow of her cheek, nuzzling his nose in her hair, across her ear, so very slightly and whispered earnestly, "You are so beautiful to me."

Her anger and guilt left and she went up stairs, knowing he would follow her. The rest was fuzzier. Details were harder to make out. He made her laugh, both of them lying on their sides towards each other on top of her pink floral comforter. And they touched a little, her fingers in his hair and his palm on her stomach. And then they were serious and his palm cupped behind her ear and he kissed her so completely and thoroughly, pressing against her. She felt her entire body hum, which made her laugh softly against his mouth and he only responded by wrapping his cool arm around her, his fingers warm under her tank top…

She jumped out of bed and scanned the room. No Darcy. Only her tv, blue on mute. It was still dark outside. She climbed back in, her head still filled with foam and liquid; half asleep. Asleep she wasn't embarrassed to be fantasizing about Darcy. She felt no reason why she should be. And half asleep she shut her eyes and waited for Darcy to come back.

The next morning she woke up and stretched, smiling. She felt good. For the first time in a week she woke up feeling happy. She knew had a great dream. The details were skecthy. She could only recall the feeling of it- happy.

She rolled out of bed, stretching her toes and her fingertips, dragging herself over to check email, per usual. She clicked through the junk and her daily horoscope, she saved a couple from school for later, read one from Jane (who apparently was having a good time with her family, had lunch with Carrie, but was uncharacteristically steel-lipped the whole time). And then one from Fitzwilliam Darcy. She laughed nervously at his name, rather immaturely. Fitzwilliam. Then clicked on it, unsure what to except.

She read.

Elizabeth-

I know things didn't go as either of us would have liked them to last week. I'm truly sorry to have caused you any distress. But, don't worry, I'm not going to renew my regards or feelings toward you again. I just would like a chance to explain myself. I would also like to have a chance to explain the accusations you so eloquently threw at me.

Whatever you informed me about Jane's true situation came as an unpleasant shock to me. I do not rejoice in Jane or Charlie's sorrow. Hearing that I may have been wrong in my opinion of their relationship and Jane's feeling, made me feel ashamed of my actions. However, I do not regret the choices I have made. I believed I was helping a friend who is very important to me. I regret only that I was so quick to judge and not think.

As for George, what he told you was probably some outrageous lie. I have known him for, basically, my whole life. And for most of that we were good friends, almost brothers (which pains me to say that now). Our families were good friends and when his father died, our family took him in, gladly. After high school, George and I went to Yale together, but after a semester, George grew restless and transferred to Berkley. For a couple years after that George had several different stints at various universities. Always claiming he just was finding that perfect school. He told us he was studying to become a doctor. After I had graduated and George was still hopping from one school to another, my father became very sick. Cancer. As the oldest son, I came home to take his position in the company. I also became my family's financier. I soon received an outstanding bill from Colombia, where George was apparently studying. Confused, I checked my father's records where, two months ago, a check for twenty thousand had been made out to Colombia University. I called the bank to confirm if this check had been processed. The bank told me it had been cashed. I had my suspicions, but loving George as a brother, I had to investigate further before I could allow myself to travel down that unsavory path. But, my suspicions were true and I soon learned that the only college George had actually attended was Yale, four years ago. The tuition checks my father had been serving out had all been cashed and used for waste. Parties, liquor, yachts, gambling, women. He had been deceiving us all. I was devastated and unsure of where to go from there. I couldn't let my father know what had been happening- it would have broken his heart. When my dad died three months later, George finally came home for the funeral. I confronted him at the wake after a little too many drinks and threw him out. I haven't heard from him since. I never wish to hear from him again. I loved my father dearly and I know my father loved George very much. If he had learned how George had taken advantage of him in such a disgusting way…well, let's say I am very glad he did not.

I'm sorry that you ever knew him. I hope you got rid of him before he did you, because I have never seen him be sincere in aspect of his life.

Elizabeth, I wish the best for you. And I'm sorry to have ever caused you any discomfort.

Yours,

F. Darcy.

P.S. I didn't sleep his wife, but I did sleep with an ex-girlfriend of his- I always knew he was bitter about that. As for the divorce, George had gotten married in Las Vegas one drunken night to a stripper named Pussy Cat (Cat was her last name, apparently). I did oversee the annulment with the family lawyer, as I was pre-law at the time. I can honestly say I didn't know he was so attached to Ms. Cat. I regret splitting up their union, if this is the case.

Elizabeth wheeled back from the computer as more of the familiar mixed emotions churned inside of her. She was so tired of being confused and unsure. She hated Darcy for doing that to her. The whole summer had been nothing but mixed signals and misunderstandings and conflicting feelings. She was sick of it. But she just had to read the email one more time. She read over a few more times for good measure.

She had to decide what she felt about the email, no more wishy-washy. Make it black and white. She was still upset about Jane, but not blood-boiling like she had been. She had enough insight to know that she had made quick judgments before and she couldn't deny that Darcy seemed to be honestly wanting to help his friend. As for George- it had been hard to get angry about him in the first place. She couldn't deny that her gut was telling her Darcy's was telling the truth.

But why did he have to be so arrogant? Why did he have to meddle at all? Why did he have to be such a jerk half the time and then so honest and sincere the other half? Why? Why?

She wrote him back-

Darcy-

Thanks for your email. It was insightful.

How should she close? Sincerely? Too formal. Thanks? She had said that. What had Darcy written? She scrolled down to see. Yours. He had written Yours. Her belly tightened up. The she shook it off, like Mariah Carey. He probably wrote that at the end of all his emails.

She said it out loud, though, quietly. Yours, F. Darcy. She smiled at how it sounded. Her dream sprung back at her suddenly. She blushed, knowing she had had a sex dream about Darcy. But then she shrugged and wrote Elizabeth, no closing at all.

……………………………….

Ooops, this is really long. Well, longer then my usual chapters. But I miss my family a lot, so it was easy to write about another. Thanks soooooooooooooooooooooooo much for all the reviews. It was like a mini Christmas. Haha. Fabulous. Well, tell me what you think about this one and I'll try and crank the next out asap.


	13. Epiphanies

"_Never had his wit been directed in a manner so little agreeable to her."(chapter 55)_

Chapter 13- Epiphanies in the Sky Like Diamonds

Saturday she found herself at the neighbor's end of summer party with her family and apparently the rest of the block. Her mother was prodding her to continue a conversation she had with Hunter about his ex-wife.

"No, I won't do it. You can't make me."

"Lizzy, he only needs some condolences," Mrs. Bennett said, taking a bite of a strawberry.

"No, he's psychotic. No way. He said he wouldn't mind if his ex-wife mysteriously died in arsonist's fire. That's weird. That's way weird. I think he's going to try and kill his ex-wife."

"Don't be silly, Lizzy. It was a joke," she laughed, if not a little nervously, "Where's your sense of humor?"

"Uh, I guess my sense of humor draws a line at being privy to a murder."

"Oh, Lizzy. Here he comes again. Go approach him," she nudged her forward

"Mom, I've got to get something to eat," Elizabeth rushed away towards the house.

"But, Lizzy, you already have a plate," Mrs. Bennett was left calling out.

Elizabeth opened the sliding back door to the Annsley's kitchen where a buffet was spread out. Chips, fruit, seven different variations of brownies, the sort of thing every house on the block did for every kind of event.

"Liz," a man said, putting a slight hand on her shoulder.

She turned, "Grey! I didn't know you were town. How are you doing?" Grey was twenty eight with blue eyes and brown hair. He was good looking. However, his good looks didn't seem so great today. He looked like himself, but it didn't seem to be enough. A thought that was odd because Elizabeth used to believe that Grey was one of the most attractive men in her acquaintance. She didn't feel so strongly now that he was standing in front of her. Actually, since after the wedding she really hadn't been thinking about him.

"So you never called me," he leaned against the counter, balancing a paper dessert plate piled with swedish meatballs.

"You never gave me your number," she eased in, balancing her own plate of strawberries.

"Yes, I did. I remember writing it on a napkin and then…," he thought for a moment, his eye screwed up in mock concentration,"…Not giving it to you," he laughed. "I'm such a putz. Will you take my offered number for a second time?"

"I'll take it, but I'm not sure I'll use it."

"Liz, come on, we both know that isn't true."

Elizabeth's pride was wounded briefly and she forgot her smooth flirting voice, "Hey. Why do we know that?"

"Because we both know how much you like me," he laughed, without arrogance.

"Maybe we should talk about you liking me, since you're the one giving me your number."

"Maybe we should," he murmured, stepping slightly closer to her. His plate of food brushing her plate of food. She was acutely aware now that she was in the kitchen all alone with Grey, flirting. This could go somewhere, she thought briefly.

"Uh, I have to go my mom…wants to set me up," Shoot, bad excuse. She raced out of the kitchen.

Approaching her mom, she couldn't believe herself. 'What is wrong with me? I've had a crush on Grey since high school. And then I chicken out?' Her mom saw her and immediately started talking about what Mrs. Philips was wearing. Apparently it wasn't very flattering. The dress just wasn't made for her kind of body. Then Elizabeth had an epiphany: Grey wasn't made her. They weren't supposed to be together. That's why she was suddenly repelled by him. It made sense to her, in the oddest way of having no logical course. 'He just isn't my soul mate'. In reassurance so strong, it felt almost tangible, she knew that.

Elizabeth also knew that her epiphany might be outrageous to a lot of people, even herself, especially since she didn't believe in soul mates. But since the fortune teller, she had been entertaining the thought of it and thinking why not? 'Why can't there be someone who I'm attracted to for reasons I can't fathom?' Was she becoming romantic? She couldn't quite be sure. She stilled gagged at the end of every cliché chick flick ending. But the real romance seemed strangely closer, almost attainable. She may not have known who her soul mate was but she knew it wasn't Grey. She knew that.

The rest of the barbecue went well enough. She avoided Hunter and Grey successfully and finally managed to get out unscathed.

…………………

By Sunday she was ready to go home. She said her goodbyes. Then, stopped a fight between her sisters, talked to Mr. Bennett in his study for an hour, listened to her mother about catching a husband for a half an hour, and, finally, left.

…………………….

Elizabeth burst through the doorway tossing her duffel bag onto the couch. The train had been agonizingly slow that afternoon and she was decidedly ready for bed. Jane cam out of her room, a french rap song blaring,

"Lizzy, you're home!" She threw open her arms for hug.

"Jane, you're home!

"I just got back this morning. How was home?"

"How do you know I went home? I could have been off in London for the weekend. You never know."

"Because you're wearing the same unicorn sweater from sixth grade you always wear," Jane pointed out. This was true. She was always stuck wearing the unicorn sweater.

"Oh," she gave Jane a defeated look, "So how was your home, mon cherie?"

"Fabulous. Spent a terrible amount of money. But, the good news is I am so over Charlie. If I saw him now I'd say au revoir. Salut," she gave a little wave, "Really, Lizzy, that's all I'd do."

"Good." She felt guilty not telling Jane the truth about Darcy. But she couldn't tell her. She didn't want to…she just wouldn't like for….really, it wasn't necessary for her to…She stumbled over the reasons she had never quite finished. What exactly was holding Lizzy back from telling her the truth? She told Jane everything, why shouldn't this be any different. She had her second epiphany. She didn't want Jane to think badly of Darcy. She was protecting him. Why? Why? Why shouldn't Jane know what Darcy did and hate him as much she did? She didn't have to answer that question though, she already knew. Darcy's mistake made him more human to Elizabeth, more like herself. Maybe she was finally understanding Darcy? Maybe she didn't hate him? She stopped her thoughts from going any further. Hating Darcy had basically defined her whole summer. Was she going to stop so easily? Where was her dedication?

"Lizzy? Are you listening?"

"No, Sorry I was thinking about…Grey gave me his phone number and I turned him down," she blurted.

"What? You didn't! But, Lizzy, he's been your crush forever"

"Well you know" And thus, Lizzy kept her mind off of her epiphany and Darcy for a whole ten minutes.

………………………………………….

Time passed. The plump green trees became crisp and red. Pumpkins overloaded stoops. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was being put on as a play at the prep school, much to Elizabeth's dismay. As campy as the story was, it still managed to give her chills every time. It was the thought of walking through the woods all by herself at night that really did her in. All of this confirmed Elizabeth's suspicions, summer was over. Fall was here.

She began to fill her days with things to do. School had started. She was back to teaching. Then there was her personal quest to find inner peace and zen that was taking up all her free time. Jane started her on yoga, noticing the she seemed more moody then usual. Elizabeth was glad to have an activity to take her mind off of the could-haves and should-haves she was constantly mulling over.

One morning, Elizabeth was restless. School was going smoothly. She had nothing to do until then. She was stuck doing yoga on tape. Which she discovered wasn't as interesting as doing yoga in class and watching everyone else struggle, too. In the middle of downward facing dog, she collapsed on to the floor and lay face down until Jane came into the room.

"I'm going for a walk, Jane."

Jane grumbled in her bathrobe and glasses. Something about birthing more horses.

"So, do you want to come?" She stretched her leg in front of her.

But Jane only grumbled some more.

Elizabeth shrugged, "Okay, bye," She left out the door.

She emerged outside, jacket in hand. Sun was shining. Weather was sweet. Makes you want to move your dancing feet.' The Bob Marley song played in her mind it the corniest way possible but it was a truly fabulous morning. A traditional crisp autumn morning. Too bad Jane couldn't join her. It was nice to share this with someone. The moment, the smells, the streets. Someone to verify that the air did smell sweet, when a bus wasn't passing by, that is.

She smiled at the lady walking her pug dog. And at the man with a greasy apron on toting a steak sandwich. She beamed at the little kid that just stuck his tongue out at her. She bought a crappy cup of coffee off a street vendor and made her way to the park to relax.

Her thoughts revolved over only her lesson plans, class schedule, and what movie to see later that night. Her epiphanies were efficiently pushed to the back of her mind and forgotten since the school year started. She was content, even if it was only for feigning ignorance.

Yes, she was content.

Until the man himself strolled over out of the hills- the small foot hills (they _are_ still in city). Struck by sudden terror, she didn't know what to do with herself. Her first instinct was to hide or run away but she know she had to fight that impulse. She stayed stationed in her seat. He was moving so smoothly, he almost glided over. And she knew by the way he walked that she wasn't mistaken. It was Darcy.

The sun was behind him. His hair was a little shorter. His tan had faded, too. But there he, unmistakably, was in dark blue jeans and a forest green cable knit sweater. He looked like himself, but at the same time he also looked changed somehow.

He approached her bench, his expression unreadable. And then he smiled.

………………………….

This chapter was such a pain. I don't even think some of it's coherent. Its crap, but I am so tired of trying to fix it and make it longer, I'm leaving it as is and am planning a beautiful chapter for next time. So, review, review, review. I use to be unattached to the number of reviews, but now it is sad how much I want more. Anyway, updates should be one right after another b/c school is coming like a train and I have a lot of the rest already written. I hope you are pleased.


	14. He Kissed Her!

"_Every kind of pride must revolt from the connection."_

Chapter 14- He Kissed Her!

Panic built in her chest and she shoved her styrofoam cup in front of her face. The hot coffee sloshed out onto her thin yoga pants and she swallowed a yelp. Darcy's smile grew as he came closer and he seemed to be making hand gestures at her. Then he started slapping his knees and whistling. Elizabeth slid down into her bench even further, appalled. He's gone insane. She drove him to insanity. A tiny part of her was secretly impressed with herself.

The he passed her, eyes averted towards the horizon. There was a dog barking distantly and then closer. Then a large white and red collie came bounding up the hill. Darcy stopped, his back to her now. "Georgie, Come on, sweetie. Come here," he produced a tiny dog bone treat from his pocket. The dog bounded toward him in a last burst of speed and took the treat as Darcy scratched at its ears.

Elizabeth saw her opportunity to leave. She just couldn't handle the embarrassment of seeing him again after all the things that had happened. She stood up and began to walk quickly as possible, her cup shielding her face. She kept her eyes on the ground based on the belief if I can't see you, you can't see me.

Then she knocked into someone, coffee all over her and most likely, all over the person she knocked into. She backed away and started apologizing profusely, wiping off excess coffee on her shirt.

"Elizabeth?"

She snapped her head up to meet his face, the feeling of dread and knowing melting through each nerve, "Darcy! Crap. I mean, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't do on purpose."

"Why would you do that on purpose?" He gave her a confused look and picked up the bottom of his sweater to take it off.

"Wait- don't take off your shirt." She suddenly felt she was trapped in a romance novel.

He gave a look again and pulled it off revealing a long sleeve shirt underneath.

"Oh," Elizabeth said, feeling stupid.

"Did you think I was going to walk around shirtless?" he took the now empty coffee cup from her and threw it in the garbage.

"No," she replies sullenly. Yes, she thought. Darcy told the dog to sit and made a hand gesture.

He must have been aware she was confused by all the hand gestures to the dog.

"It's sign language. I read somewhere that dogs are easier to train in sign language." Elizabeth nodded and he continued, "I've only ever had one dog, so I can't tell you if it's easier or not."

"Oh," was all she could respond, giving him a small, weak laugh.

She looked at his dog, a beautiful dog with no leash. She had always wanted a dog that didn't use a leash, but she didn't even think that they existed. Until now. "What's his name?"

"Her name is Georgiana. Well, she prefers to go by Georgie."

"Georgiana?" She laughed.

"What? I like that name. Georgiana. It's a good name." He scratched her ear.

"It's kind of formal for a dog. But I like Georgie." She kneeled down in front of her, "Georgie, I'm Elizabeth. How do you do?" Georgie promptly turned on her back, belly in the air. She laughed and rubbed the dog's white belly. "You're a good girl, aren't you, Georgie?" She turned her face up towards Darcy, "I love collies. We had a miniature one growing up. His name was Lucky. Oh, I loved him." She turned back to Georgie, "He was cute, just like you". Georgie gave her a little lick.

"What happened to him?"

"Oh, it was tragic. I was out hunting and a bear attacked me. Lucky died saving me."

Darcy looked at her in awe. "That's so sad. I'm sorry."

Elizabeth shook her head and laughed, "Actually that's Where the Red Fern Grows. No, Lucky died at the ripe age of sixteen a couple of years ago."

"You goofball. I can't believe you made that up. I thought-"

"What did you just call me?"

"A goofball. My mom used to say a lot. She died in a hunting accident," he ended solemnly.

Elizabeth wasn't sure if he was telling the truth. He had to be joking. But if he wasn't it would be terrible to call him out on it.

He saved her. "Sorry. That was a joke in very poor taste. No my mom is alive and well in New York."

Georgie gave a sharp bark from her spot on the ground. Darcy laughed, smiling widely and kneeling next to her, "She's a big baby. She loves attention. You have her love for life now." He gave Georgie a kiss on top her head.

She felt a little tender towards him and it surprised her so much she felt nervous. He was acting so different.

"So what have you've been up to lately?"

Elizabeth looked up at him, "Oh, you know. School and stuff. You?"

"Oh…I've just finally got out of Bingley's and into my own place. I can't believe it took that long. It's murder finding a decent apartment."

"Yes, I know. I know how it is. You know, to find an apartment. A decent one I mean. In the city, I mean," she tripped over her words. What was the matter? Get a grip, she scolded her self. Very slightly she leaned forward to get better hold on the ground. She caught Darcy's light, soapy scent, which suddenly seemed so familiar. She felt an odd choking in her throat and her need to escape from Darcy never seemed stronger. Elizabeth stood up too quickly and lost her footing. Darcy noticed her flailing arms and out of poor and quick thinking grabbed her ankles to steady them. His unexpected touch and her lack of balance threw her completely off her feet and on to Darcy's kneeling form. He moved his hands from her legs to her wrists and pushed her upwards. Elizabeth blushed more than she could stand and pulled away, falling directly on her butt. Darcy stood up his a smirk on his face and offered her his hand. Elizabeth pushed it away and scowled, "Stop smiling like that and just laugh already." She stood up, fixing the drawstring on her yoga pants and pulled the wet, sticky tee shirt away from her skin.

"I didn't even think about laughing."

"Yes you did. Don't lie, it's not very attractive." She joked.

At her words, Darcy looked uncomfortable, like he cared if she thought he was attractive, and Elizabeth blushed again. So Darcy wasn't totally over what had happened. 'Like you are' she reminded herself and then quickly pushed the thought away, per usual.

She really needed to make her exit now. "Well, I have to go…I have…I'm you know," she said all the while avoiding his gaze by looking in all directions of the park. 'Great, now I'm judgmental and shifty.' She started picking at her tee shirt again.

Darcy shook his head no. "Elizabeth. Wait. I can get you a towel or something. Or a stain stick. Or something.

"Er. No. That's okay, Darcy. My apartment is just fifteen or so blocks from here. I'm going straight back to change."

"Well, I'm living just right over there," He pointed down the street, "It's the brick with the blue and green."

"Cute. But, really, it's fine. It's fine."

"No, I insist. I feel terrible to make you walk all that way with wet coffee down your shirt. I have a driver! I mean, I have a car and driver that would be happy to take you home. Free of charge. Come on. Just let me do this for you."

Elizabeth was thrown off and agreed, already following Darcy's lead down the street.

Elizabeth walked into the foyer and knew right then that she loved it. It was old townhouse from when the colonial era, the kind she always wanted to live in. The outside had it's original façade, with an heavy, yellowed and frayed American flag hanging outside on the door with only thirteen stars on it. The inside was beautiful and open. The kitchen opened to a huge living room which opened to a dining room and then there was a curling iron staircase to the second floor. It was modern with colonial touches with red tin ceiling imprinted with stars and deep oak floors. The kitchen was a butter yellow and contrasted to an egg shell blue living room. It felt like a happy place.

"This is nice," she nodded at him appreciatively.

"Thanks. I like it."

"No, it's really nice. Do you own this whole building?"

"Yeah, pretty much,"

"Pretty much?"

"Yup," he walked over to the living room, where there sat a huge, cream overstuffed couch.

"I really like your sofa."

Darcy smiled and disappeared into a little room off of the kitchen. He returned, stain stick in hand.

Do you want me to…?" He made a rubbing motion and then blushed. "Never mind, here you go."

Elizabeth laughed at the sheer awkwardness he seemed to be emitting right then. For someone who even managed to say 'hello' arrogantly, he could be the most awkward, almost shy guy. He relaxed as she laughed and went into the dining room across from the living room. She smeared some of the stick on the front of her shirt quickly, feeling stupid, but it had been his suggestion. At least she didn't have to walk home with her tee shirt looking the state it was. Not that she wouldn't be fitting in with the majority of food workers that lined the block of her street.

He came out and she fumbled the stick on the cherry coffee table. It rolled off and landed under the table. Inwardly, Elizabeth groaned at her lack of poise and zen, and dove under the table for it. She grabbed it, knocked the back of her head in the process of scrambling up, and sat it on the table as steady as she could. All the while, Darcy mimicking her movements, trying to beat her to every process.

Elizabeth could only laugh, her true blue defense mechanism and Darcy laughed with her. And when the laughter died, it seemed both of their minds were blank of any reasonably polite conversation starters. There was silence until Elizabeth spoke up.

"How's work?" The most boring question ever. Great.

"Oh, great. A smooth sailing ship. And school?"

"School's school. I'm back to having typer's elbow again."

They both gave a small laugh but continued avoiding eye contact for a moment until Elizabeth knew that she had to escape. "Well, I should go…I have this thing to get to today."

"Right, I'll call Lou." He crossed the room and picked up phone hanging on the wall. In a couple of seconds he was done. "The car will be outside in a minute."

"Ok. Right. Is he always waiting for you to call?"

Darcy made a face, "Probably. I don't know what he does when he's not driving me around. I should put a t.v. or something in that garage. Or least a radio. Maybe a lunch break would be good."

Elizabeth was appalled. "He sits in the garage all day?"

Darcy smiled, "I'm just kidding. He only works in the mornings, Monday through Friday. He hangs out on the third floor, if I don't need him to drive."

"Oh."

"Did you think I was some kind of tyrant?"

Elizabeth shrugged.

"You did!" he said with a surprising amount of enthusiasm, "Well, I can assure you, I'm not. Except when they start to act up. Then I usually toss them into the basement for a couple of days then."

"I knew it."

"Somehow I think that's easier for you to believe," he said seriously.

Elizabeth started to answer, but she was cut off by a honk. "That's my ride," she said instead.

"I can't believe he honked. We've talked about that before," he smiled a little.

"Just throw 'em in the stocks. That's how we always righted the peasants."

Darcy laughed appreciatively as he led her to the door, "I'll see you around, Elizabeth."

"Right. Well, maybe we'll run into each other again."

"Yeah," Darcy smiled.

"Right…Bye," She smiled back, tripping on the bottom stair and then running into the open back seat door that Lou held open.

………………………………………

Elizabeth walked straight up the stairs after Lou had dropped her off and met Jane getting ready to leave for the clinic.

"Jane! I saw Darcy," she said a little too dramatically.

"Oh, you did? How is he?"

"Jane, no you don't understand. I _saw_ Darcy. With his dog, Georgie. She's a-"

"A collie, I know," she sat on the couch next to where Elizabeth had plopped herself.

"How do you know?"

"That's how I met Charlie. He brought Georgiana in to be boarded for the week, while Darcy was moving. She's darling,"

"Well, let's just say Darcy thinks she is too. He kissed her!

"What?"

"On the head, I mean. It was just so crazy."

"So he likes his dog. That's not weird."

"No I mean seeing him again. Jane there's something I haven't told you, but I've been meaning to…I just haven't known how to say." Jane nodded for her to go on and that's all Elizabeth needed. She told her the story. From the Felix's gossip to the kiss to the epiphanies.

"So that's it. That's all I haven't told you."

"Wow," Jane forehead wrinkled in thought.

"I know."

"I always knew he had a thing for you."

"Well, it wasn't ever obvious to me."

"I don't know. You both had a…connection. There's always been a little mystery between you too."

Elizabeth shrugged, "Whatever. So you're not at all upset at what he did."

"Well, of course, but he did what he thought was right at the moment. It was wrong, but the thought that he was only trying to help Charlie makes me forgive him quickly.

Elizabeth made a face, "You're too good. I was furious and I wasn't the one in love with him.

"So what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean? Nothing."

Jane smiled, "I think you should go for it."

"I-. No. No. I don't even like him."

"Lizzy," Jane groaned, "Your so stubborn."

"What? So I can admit that he made a mistake about you and Charlie, but he still is weird and jerky."

"Except when he's tutoring underprivileged delinquents or playing with his 'gorgeous dog' or picking us up from the airport…"

"Okay. Whatever. So he's not completely a jerk, but he has jerky tendencies."

"Like?"

"Like…I don't know. I didn't write them down. But I don't like him. I really don't."

Jane just shrugged.

"Jane, I don't. He's just so…so….rich."

"You snob."

"Did you know that he dated Paris Hilton?"

"Who told you that?"

"Lydia and Kitty. They saw it on t.v."

"That's an odd match. I wonder if it's true."

"I bet it is. He would date Paris Hilton."

Jane rolled her eyes, "You have something against Paris Hilton, too?"

"Can we change the subject, please?"

"Sure, sure. Don't let me make you suffer through a conversation revealing your baseless dislike of Darcy."

"But it's not like I'm going to see him again anyway."

"Well, who knows?"

"So what are you going to do about Charlie?" Elizabeth changed the subject.

"I'm sure it will work out."

"Jane. You have to call. You have to tell him the truth."

"No, I can't. He'll think that I'm lying"

"He would not! He loves you."

"Let's not talk about this anymore, either. But I truly believe everything will work out as it should."

"I wish I could have as much faith as you."

Jane lounged back and looked thoughtful for a moment. "You can," she said, "And now I have to go to work."

She took a walk the next morning and the morning after that. Nearing the same park she had met him in but not daring to travel to it. She felt her curiosity rising though. It seemed strange to leave the mystery that was Darcy all alone. Everything he did seemed to be a surprise to her, a sudden thing. It intrigued her. She could admit that, at least, to herself. Anyway, she wasn't at all thoroughly convinced that he was, after all of it, the good guy in the story. The good things could easily be written off. Tutoring- tax credit, public image for company. Airport rides- favor for a friend. Dog- well, even mean people had dogs. Stalin probably had a dog. Cruella De Vil wanted a dog. The crabby old lady that lived in her building had a little yapping poodle. There's a long line of mean people with dogs.

She had a firm case of his probable jerky character and this gave her confidence to venture near to the place where she had met him. And then a little nearer. Not out of any sort of romantic ideations, of course, but the churning curiosity of his intolerable persona and why he ever thought it would be appropriate to kiss her on the street. Also, she was literally itching to find out if he really dated Paris Hilton.

And that's it. That's every reason why she was now strolling that same park a week after she had met him there.

………………………………………………………………………………

I'm taking Elizabeth's liking of Darcy slowly. You know, draw out the suspense. And, you guys might guess that his townhouse is Pemberley, but it's not. I'm really screwing around with the story plot. Sorry. That's coming up later. So review as much as humanly possible and I promise I will update faster. Thanks!


	15. She Who Must Be Appeased

_"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."_

Chapter 15- She Who Must Be Appeased

When she finally met him in the park again she was frozen. This was where her plan ended. She hadn't thought what would say when she did see him again. She had just wanted to see him again. She approached him anyway. Lounged on a bench under a thick red tree, his legs stretched out in front of him, reading. In a blue suit with a tie loosely strung around the collar of his shirt.

"Hello." She said, thinking she could not have said anything more awkward.

He looked up at her, surprised, "Hey."

They both looked away, blushing, blushing, blushing.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, fidgeting with the knot of his tie, pulling it further to the center of the shirt. "I mean, er,…actually I meant, what are you doing here? I mean… Elizabeth, what are you doing here?" He scowled. She knew he was scowling at himself. Elizabeth was used to Darcy's strange bluntness and answered calmly, fidgeting with the zipper of her jacket. "I like this park. It's nice park. And I like to take walks. And…well, I guess I wanted to see you."

Darcy looked at her, determining if she was joking, "Oh." A beat. "Really?"

"Well, yeah, I guess."

"Oh." He smiled and moved over from his place in the center of the bench.

Elizabeth sat down next to him. "So what are you reading?"

"The House of the Spirits…Isabelle Allende."

"Good book. So you're into Latin American stuff?"

"Yes…well I was a Latin American studies major…well, and Spanish major. I read this book in Spanish a while ago and…What do you mean into?"

"Well, I saw you reading umm, Love in the Time of Cholera once."

He furrowed his brow and appeared to be thinking. "When was that?"

"At a coffee shop. Oh man, I swore I would never tell you this." She laughed and he smiled gently at her. Sometimes he could look so gentle, so warm. And then other times he could be completely insensitive and cool. He was list of contradictions. "But we were in the same coffee shop once…pre-introduction…and I spilled my drink on you. Which is becoming a habit now."

"I remember that! I mean I remember having a drink spilled on me. Not you. I didn't even look to see who did it. I just stormed out." He smiled apologetically. "That was bad day. I had just moved here. And… well, some other stuff had been going on. I can't believe you never said anything."

"When would that have been possible? You haven't been too friendly towards me. Well…besides that one time" And they both blushed. Elizabeth wished fervently that she could have better control of her mouth.

"I've always been friendly," he said, recovered and put out.

"Always? What about when we first met? You barely spoke to me."

"Ugh. I was in a bad mood. I was hungry and I hate clubs. And I hate when they say clubs are restaurants when they're really just clubs. I didn't see anyone dining on anything except cocktails. And well, Carrie. You know Carrie. She was herself. Plus, I thought Charlie was trying to set me up with you. I hate being set up."

Elizabeth reflected on his words for a moment, "There's a lot of negativity in that sentence. For every negative thing you say, you should say a positive thing. The girl that teaches my yoga class told me that." She teased.

"Your yogi?" He offered.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Anyway, you didn't have to act like you were completely put off."

"I didn't want to give you a false impression. I was being the gentleman."

"Sorry to tell you, but you were not a gentleman at all. You were rude and mean and you said I wasn't attractive."

He shook his head. "No, I didn't.

"Yes, you did. To Charlie."

"Elizabeth," he groaned, "Give me a break. I was miserable. I didn't mean it. And you have to admit, I've redeemed myself since then."

"Puh. How?" She folded her arms and slouched a bit, like a teenager accepting apologies or lectures reluctantly. Waiting to be appeased.

"Let's see…the candy every week. Did you notice it was always your favorite kind? Oh, and the ride home last week." He folded his fingers down as he listed these things off in a way that particularly annoyed Elizabeth.

"That was Lou," she pointed out.

"_My_ driver."

"Okay. But still…before that. Before you were semi-tolerable. When we went out to that Italian restaurant together. Still miserable. Still barky at everyone."

He looked away in thought and turned back to her again. "Well, that's, I guess, when I noticed you and I thought you were…well, pretty. And I was shy. I'm terrible at talking to people I don't know well. I get nervous and try way too hard to be confident."

"You are not shy. I don't believe you."

"Fine, don't believe me. But, I'm telling you I'm shy."

Elizabeth only gave him a look to which he responded, "Okay, shy and a little grumpy."

"And arrogant. You know the best way to fix that would be to-"

"Practice, I know. My aunt Catherine is constantly saying that."

"Well, I was going to say don't try so hard, but practice is good." She laughed.

"First impressions," Darcy muttered, shaking his head.

Elizabeth patted his arm, "Don't worry. I'm terrible at them. Terrible at seeing past them."

"And I managed to give three distinctly horrible ones."

"Yes, you did." A distinct feeling billowed in her chest at his smile. She cleared her throat lightly, "Well, maybe we can make a better second impression on each other. Just mind your manners," she joked.

"I know. I know. I'm a bit self-absorbed. Especially lately- with the move. I mean, I've been moving a whole company. And well…well, a lot of the things that needed to be dealt with."

"Oh, yes, I forgot how important you are," she said sarcastically.

Darcy frowned but then looked at her teasing smile.

"Yes, most people do." They shared a smile.

She looked at him for a moment, casually studying his face. "You're different from what I thought."

"How?"

"Isn't obvious?"

"I can't see-". He bounded up suddenly. "What time is it?"

"I don't know, like, one? Maybe? One-ish,"

"Damn. I told them I'd be back in an hour. I have to go." He straightened his silk purple tie, tugging on the collar and the knot of it. Elizabeth felt an instinct to help him but held her ground. "And what happened to your job, Miss Bennett? Extra long lunch today?" He smiled stooping to pick up a black leather briefcase. Gucci? Prada? Did it really matter? She scolded herself.

"Oh, you know, it's Columbus Day."

"Lucky. Who else has the day off for Columbus Day? Who even knows it's Columbus Day?"

"Hey, my class does. And Mattress King. They're having a huge Columbus Day sale."

"Really? Thanks for the tip."

They were a bench apart now, standing, inching away towards their separate departures. He turned a little to leave. "Well, I'm going to have to run now."

"Ok. See you. Wait!" Elizabeth thought of the question that she was desperately trying to forget while it was desperately plaguing her mind. She told her herself it didn't matter, but she just had to know.

He turned, waiting for her. "Did you ever date Paris Hilton?"

"What? Who?"

"Paris Hilton," she repeated impatiently.

He laughed, "I don't even think I've ever met her. Who told you that?" He laughed at her again, "You're a gossip."

"Quit laughing. I'm not a gossip. My sister told me. I was just curious. I didn't think it was true."

"Is that why you asked me?"

Elizabeth scowled, "Just go to work. Bye." She started to stalk away and she was gone a few feet when she heard him say her name. She smiled and turned to face him.

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth."

He was walking towards her. "Hey. I have this thing tomorrow. I don't know, I guess it's a party. For my new apartment. Well, more like a get together. I'm terrible at parties."

"I know." She smiled.

He laughed back. "Well, you should come. I mean I would like you to come. Carrie and Charlie will be there. You remember Carrie? Oh and probably Felix. And you can bring a friend…Jane or your boyfriend or whatever."

"Er…sure. But you have to take it back."

"What back?"

"That I like gossip. Because I don't."

"Are you serious?"

Elizabeth gave him a serious face. "Fine. You don't like gossip."

She smiled, "Yes, I will go to your party, Darcy."

"Good" He smiled "You know where I live. You should come at eight. Eight would be good."

"Eight's great," She smiled. And then he smiled and then finally, they said good bye and parted ways, she trying conceal the wide smile threatening her face.

She called Jane. "Jane? Can you meet me for lunch? I have a problem."

…………………………..

Three hours later Elizabeth met Jane, who unfortunately could only get a twenty minute break at the coffee shop around the corner of her clinic.

"So what's your problem?" Jane asked, tearing off a piece of crumbling scone.

"I think I may think I like Darcy. I mean not like like. As a friend."

"Like Like?"

"It means to like someone as more than a friend"

Jane threw a bit of scone at her. "I know what it means. I just can't believe you used it in a sentence as a valid term."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Whatever. The point is I may have been wrong about Darcy."

"There's a surprise."

"Jane, come on be supportive. Where's the Jane I know and love?"

Jane stirred her drink around, "I'm sorry, Lizzy. I'm glad for your discoveries."

In the most sensitive voice she could muster up with the most sympathy she could conjure she asked, "Are you still crabby about Charlie?"

Jane sighed, "No, I am safe from him. He cannot plague me any longer."

"What if he was in town? Would you be safe then?"

Jane sat up straight. "What are you saying? Are you serious?"

"That's what Darcy said. He's having a party and he invited us."

"Really? No, no I can't do it. What would I even say?" She leaned forward towards Elizabeth, perhaps hoping for a brilliant answer.

"You could try hello."

"And then what?" Jane thought for a moment sipping her latte. "Then I die," she decided.

"You're so dramatic"

"I learned it from you, Liz dearest," Jane looked at her watch. "I have to go."

"Why? Why does everyone have to work?"

"Sorry we all have real jobs that don't include summer holidays."

"Hey."

"Sorry. You have a very admirable job. And that's the dirty truth."

"Thank you. But, I should go too and write that paper."

"Always the paper."

"Always."

Before they left Elizabeth reached over and gave Jane a hug, trying as much as she was able to to reassure Jane of the fabulous qualities she possessed. To give her the confidence she knew she had. The courage to do what would make her happy. She wished for Jane everything she wished for herself. What she wished she could do for herself.

……………………..

That afternoon sitting at her computer, typing a paper on British Regency period literature, it took all her self discipline to stay on the task at hand. She couldn't help but keep remembering the almost tolerable time she had with Darcy. Running through bits of the conversation over and over and analyzing what she should have said instead. He had been so easy going. She liked his smile, she had to admit. She liked it a great deal. She didn't see it much before, in North Carolina he had mostly scowled or sulked or sometimes smirked, but when he grinned with his white teeth showing and his eye crinkles deepening, she had to admit her inability to think badly about him. He smiled like that a few times during their time at school together. He smiled like that when the students seemed to make connections. He smiled like that when she had made a joke, not at his expense, which was rarely. The brief chats and exchanges of advice and candy had lessened her dislike of him to almost non-existent. But then there was the disastrous kiss by the bridge and his confession of….well, whatever he was trying to confess. Most likely he was just trying to sleep with her. She scowled.

…………………………………………………………

The next day during a long lecture about Paradise Lost, Jane called. She excused herself into the hall.

"Lizzy, Lizzy! You're not going to believe this. Oh, wow. I can't believe it, but he just left."

"Who?"

"Charlie. And he just proposed. Out of no where. Well, first we talked and he said he was confused before and stupid and then he apologized a million times over. And we were just talking about normal stuff. Work and how we were doing and how we missed each other and then he says, please, marry me."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. I couldn't speak."

"He said to give it some time and think. And I shook my head okay and hugged him and he left. I guess I'm going to that party tonight."

"Oh, wow. What are you going to say?"

"Yes. I think. I want to. But I wonder if it is too soon?"

"I would say it is too soon. But I also say you should follow what everything is telling you. If you want to say yes, just do it. You love him. He loves you. A happy marriage that would be."

…………………………………………………………………..

The party was less then…well it was right now actually and she could not find anything to wear. Nothing. She was in a complete emergency state when eight o' clock came around.

"Jane! Jane! I need you!" she called, fed up with her own attempts.

Jane came into her bedroom which was now piled with clothes in every corner and showing an empty closet. "I don't have anything to wear. What should I do? I guess I'm not going, which is good because I've been getting a bad vibe about this party from the start. And I'd really rather not go if I'm going to be feeling bad energy flowing around." At the end of Elizabeth's rant Jane handed her a purple dress and gold ballet flats. "There."

"Oh. Okay. I see how that works."

"What are you going to do without me?"

"Never leave the house."

"That's what I thought."

At 8:30 they found themselves in front of Darcy's, both nervous for entirely different reasons.

Elizabeth asked, "So we should go in, right?"

Jane nodded back, "Right."

"Let's do this." They nodded at each other in a very assuring manner.

Elizabeth stepped up and rang the bell, the rest of her life stretched out before her.

…………………………………………..

Ahhh! It's almost over. Oh my gosh….five more chapters left, maybe…. at the most. Schools starting on Tuesday so I'll try the best I can. Have you guys noticed that almost after every scene the next part is Jane and Lizzy talking about it? I didn't notice my pattern until now and I almost was ready to go back and edit that part out in this chapter, but I decided I like it. I like friendship and Lizzy and Jane's friendship (sisters or not) is pretty tight. What's more important than love? Friendship. So, review, review, review and I'll make the next chapter so good you won't believe it. Haha.


	16. How I Play the Game

"_They walked on, without knowing in what direction. There was too much to be thought, and felt, and said, for attention to any other objects."_

Chapter Sixteen- That's How I Play the Game

At that moment walking into his house, filled with people mingling and drinking, Elizabeth knew something. She had never felt anything so sure in her life. As if that moment was planned and pre-arranged just so she could feel the way she did at that moment. Intimidated. Out of place. It wasn't a get together. It was a social event. Two steps away from being a gala. Luckily Jane had picked out her outfit or she would have been underdressed. What was Darcy thinking? Dur, Darcy and his stupid invitation. A tray of champagne flutes went by and she grabbed one.

She looked at Jane standing on her toes, searching the room. She was flushed.

Elizabeth tugged at her elbow, "Jane, I think I better go home."

Jane looked down at her. "Go home? No way."

"I don't know anyone here. And everyone here is cool. It's like the glitterati. Oh my gosh, Melissa Banks is here." She pointed over across the room and ducked.

"Who's that?"

"One of my favorite writers. I'm not kidding. Oh and there's that new model. And isn't that the mayor? These are like semi-famous people. I'm dying. I'm dying and I'm leaving." Elizabeth was prepared to leave.

"Settle down. Now there's someone for you. Felix."

Relief of the familiar washed over her and she convinced herself to stay for ten minutes longer. "Really? Where?"

"Over under the t.v. on the wall over the fireplace." Elizabeth followed Jane's finger and saw him, slouching against the wall talking to a number of shiny blonde women. She relaxed.

"Isn't that fireplace beautiful?" she commented on the copper and brick hearth. "I love this house."

Jane eyed her suspiciously. "Well, I'm going to go find Charlie. I think he said to meet him upstairs, but we are a half hour late."

Elizabeth ducked her head, "Sorry"

Jane smiled warmly at her, "No worries, sweetie."

It was nice to have the old Jane back, even if the difference was minuscule, Elizabeth felt the difference.

"How do I look?" Jane worried. "I can't believe he's here. I can't believe I'm going to say yes. That's not true. I feel really good about this, Lizzy. It feels a little surreal or something like that. Not exactly a dream but something. Oh! I can not form my words tonight."

"Settle down. This is right, so it will be fine."

"Okay. Okay. I'm going to meet him. Go find Darcy, Lizzy. I'm sure he'll be so glad you came."

Lizzy pulled a face, "Here's hoping." Then proceeded towards Felix.

He saw her coming over. "Lizzy! My favorite American. I'm so glad you've come. Darcy said he'd run into you, but didn't know if you'd show or not." He excused himself and pulled Elizabeth over past the group, which had already begun to disperse without him.

"Well, I'm here." She smiled.

"And looking very well. Very, very well." He waggled his eyebrows for her benefit. "You must see Darcy right now. His mood will lighten surely. You know how he feels about parties. Even his own, I guess. Bollocks." Felix shook his head. "So how have you been doing? Any new fellers and such?"

"Not one. I'm hopeless. Completely hopeless."

"Well, I know someone who's been dying to shag you and buy you a dinner too."

"Who?"

"It's a secret. Maybe later. First we must see Darcy." He put his hand on her back and led her through the clumps of people. "In the kitchen." He pushed a big wooden swinging door open and let it close behind him. There was about twenty people bustling with sauce pans and trays and champagne in the center of the kitchen and in the corner leaning on a counter top stood Darcy. Hair perfectly mussed and tie already off.

"Darce, I've got a present for you." He pushed Elizabeth forward.

"Elizabeth, you came." He smiled and took her glass from her.

"Hey, I wasn't done with that."

Darcy shook his head. "I'll get you something I know you like better." He turned to the first person to walk past, "Could you get me some kind of beachy cocktail for Elizabeth right here?

"Er, sure." The kid shrugged and hurried off.

"You're going to make him go out to the bar?"

Darcy waved his hand, "I'm sure he'd rather go ask the bartender for a drink then wash dishes. Anyway, you're late."

She leaned against the counter next to him. "I got held up." She said apologetically.

"Well, you look nice. Really nice."

Felix let out a laugh. "Good one, Darcy."

Darcy scowled. "I'd like to see better."

"Okay." He cleared his throat and turned to Elizabeth, "Lizzy, darling, you look like a goddess and if I wasn't the gentleman I am I would carry upstairs and show you how good I think you look tonight.

Elizabeth laughed.

"That doesn't count, it has to be something you'd really say," Darcy started.

"That is something I'd really say."

"You'd really say that?" He said, skeptical.

"Yes, I'd really say that." Felix folded his arm in defense.

"Guys, who cares?" Elizabeth laughed.

"Fine. Elizabeth, you look really beautiful."

"That's better, then." Felix rolled his eyes and Darcy rolled his eyes back. "Right. I have to go. I saw some truly gorgeous girl out there and I think she was giving me the eye."

"You think everyone is giving you the eye."

"They usually are, mate. They usually are." He left taking finishing Elizabeth's discarded champagne and swaggered out.

"Oi, family," Darcy shook his head.

"Preaching to the choir. I'm sure my family is way worse than yours."

"You haven't met my Aunt Catherine"

"You haven't met my mother."

Darcy went to speak but was interrupted by a shrill call.

"Darcy, dear. Darcy!" Carrie came in, "You're neglecting your guests, wallowing in the kitchen. That woman from the Times is here and, of course, the guy who does page six, so you better get out there if you don't want to be written up as some recluse. Oh, hello, Liz. I didn't know that you were invited."

"Er, on short notice."

"Well, nice dress," she turned to Darcy, "Seriously, Fitzy, let's get out there."

-Fitzy?- Elizabeth mouthed to Carrie's back. Darcy saw her and shrugged.

Darcy sighed and shoved himself off the counter. "Well, I guess duty calls."

Elizabeth gave him a weak smile.

"Duty! Darcy you're so dramatic. It's a party. Here have my champagne." She looked at Elizabeth, "Liz, you've got to encourage him to get out or he'll be hiding in here all night." She went over and unbuttoned another button of his shirt, letting her hands fall down his chest. "I think that might look at little better." Darcy looked over Carrie's head at Elizabeth and rolled his eyes. Elizabeth had to stifle a laugh.

"Hold on a second." He grabbed a napkin off the island and scribbled on it, hunching over so neither Carrie nor Elizabeth could see what he written. He handed it to the cook who barked, "what" and then apologized and took the scrawled napkin.

Darcy led the way out of the kitchen, with Carrie and Elizabeth trailing him, when he turned around. "Er, Elizabeth you better wait in here for a minute or two. It might look strange for all of us to come out at once."

"What? No. Why would that look strange?"

"Elizabeth. Just do it."

"Fine. I left my drink anyway."

They left and she leaned against the counter, contemplating Darcy's strangeness and severe attractiveness. There was something about him tonight. Something was especially appealing and should couldn't put her finger on why or what. But every time he laughed and shared a look with her or brushed her arm by accident she felt her insides tighten. She was about to leave the room when the cook came over and shoved a napkin in her hand. He rushed away before she could question him and looked down at the crumpled paper.

It had writing on it. So, she read it.

'E-

Meet me on terrace in…30 min. It's upstairs.

-F'

She smiled, tried not to over-analyze and emerged back into the party.

For twenty minutes she walked around aimlessly, weaving in and out of random conversations. No thinking about Darcy. Well, maybe a little. This was his party, after all. She passed by him once and was pulled into the conversation. Bingley noticed her, with Jane standing beside him smiling, "Lizzy, come and talk to us. This is Louis Hurst. My other sister, actually. Her husband is over there," he pointed to a portly man sloshing down a drink by the bar.

"He's your basic drunkard," Darcy said dryly and she was reminded of his past demeanor.

"Darcy, come on," Charlie chided, but he smiled.

"Sorry," he glanced at Elizabeth, "He is a decent guy, but a sloppy drunk."

Carrie laughed and cooed, "Darcy, have a told you how good you look tonight."

"Actually, a number of times."

"Sorry, I'm just so scattered tonight," She laughed. Elizabeth snorted. "Well, how do you like my dress?"

"It's-" Darcy began.

"It's very beautiful, Carrie," Elizabeth cut in, fearing Darcy's response.

"Thanks. Chanel," She bobbed a little, as if curtsying. Elizabeth couldn't believe her eyes.

"Carrie. I told to stay away from the Chanel until I got a look at it," Louisa looked outraged.

"Louisa, get off my back. You can't expect me to not wear a whole collection because you're too lazy to go over and look at it."

Darcy sighed, "Anyway, I have to go and speak to other guests."

A little later, following Darcy's napkin, she was padding her way up the iron stairs and down a carpeted hallway. She felt like she was going to a secret rendezvous. Wait, wasn't she? A door was left open and cautiously she poked in it. Darcy was there leaning against the ledge down at the street. The wind moving his hair slightly.

"Hey," she said shyly, "I'm here."

He turned and smiled and handed her a drink, "Here, just in case your thirsty."

"Darcy, I cannot have another drink or I'm going to be staggering out of here," but she took it anyway and began to sip. Hey, whatever he was having the bartender make was really good. "What sort of beachy cocktail is this?"

He shrugged, "What ever beachy cocktail you want it to be."

"What does that even mean?" she said, too facetiously.

"I hate when you say that."

"Say what?" She asked, confused.

"What does that even mean? But you say with this voice, like I'm saying something completely ridiculous."

"Maybe you are," she teased.

But Darcy didn't take the bait, "I'm not ridiculous, Elizabeth, even you want me feel like I am."

Elizabeth didn't respond. She didn't know how to respond. She looked out at the city instead. "So why did you move out here, really? I mean, it couldn't have only been about money."

"Why?"

"Was it?

"No." She waited for him to go on. "It was million things. My father died a year ago. And then I was given the company. It was a strange time, it felt like this responsibility was given to me that I wasn't ready for. I didn't feel like I was at that point in my life yet, you know? But you take your responsibilities as they come at you. Right? You get caught up in this life. A life you never knew you were going to choose and you forget who you were planning to be. What you were going to do with it.

"I think maybe, I just want to be different from my father. He was a good man, don't get me wrong. Great business man. I just want to live a different life. Even if it's just in place right now. Does that sound demented to you? I've been telling everybody it was just about taxes and saving money. I've alluded to Charlie…but you're the first person I've said this to…out loud," he shuffled his feet a little.

She smiled at him, trying to reassure him that she was not thinking he was ridiculous. "I know what you mean about not choosing your path. Getting caught up with everything, I mean. Like my doctorate. I always have doubts about it. Is really worth it and all that. Sometimes I just feel like I'm doing it all for my father because I really wouldn't mind being high school teacher for the rest of my life," She smiled again and shrugged, trying to lighten the mood of the future weighing upon them both.

He appreciated the gesture and stretched, rolling his shoulders.

"I like talking to you, Darcy."

"Good." He smiled back and leaned against the railing.

"You better get down to your party. Carrie is going to find you sooner or later. She's nice like that."

Darcy barked a laugh. "Yeah, I guess." He looked pensive and turned to her. "Elizabeth- do you ever feel like-

The french door behind them flung open. Carrie in her long black dress with her hands on hips was waiting in the thresh hold. "Darcy! You have to stop hiding away like this. And, Liz, such a bad influence." She tsked and wagged her finger. "So naughty." She grabbed Darcy arm and started to lead him away.

He turned around to Elizabeth, stopping Carrie. "Er, before you leave say goodbye, Lizzy."

"Sure." He had just called her Lizzy. What did that mean? Did it mean anything? She wondered if he was coming to view as a friend now. As just Lizzy. She wasn't positive she wanted that to happen, though.

When she climbed down the stairs, Jane approached with Charlie in hand.

"Lizzy, I think Charlie and I are going to leave."

"Oh. Oh! Okay."

"What's going on with you and Darcy?"

"Er, nothing. Just doing regular friends stuff."

"You guys have been looking all secretive," Charlie put in, "It's very cute."

"It's not very cute. We aren't secretive. It is what it is."

"Sorry, Lizzy, just asking. Anyway, are we going?"

"We're going. I'm starving." Charlie nodded, rubbing his belly.

That's when Lizzy noticed the glittering rock on Jane's left hand. "Jane! Jane!"

"What?" Jane asked slyly.

"Are you guys…"

"Engaged! We're engaged. She said yes." Charlie smiled wider then she thought was humanly possible. And Elizabeth of course, squealed.

"You guys! Come here!" She tried hugging them both at once, awkwardly, but the moment was only joyful. There was no room for awkward anymore. "I'm so happy for you. You're going to be my…Well, I was going to say my brother-in-law, but that isn't right is it?"

"Lizzy, if you want me to be your brother, I will. You and Jane are enough like sisters."

Elizabeth squealed again (she was a girl afterall). "Okay, okay, you guys can go now." But first she took Jane's hand to look at the ring closer. It was beautiful and huge, but in way that was almost modest. It was Jane. "It's very beautiful," she said solemnly and gave Jane one last hug.

Ten minutes of milling through the party alone was enough for Elizabeth. She went to find Darcy to say goodbye. When she found she learned what saying goodbye really meant. Saying goodbye turned into meeting this person and then this person and trying this hordourve and listening to this one song, oh and just meet this guy really quick, please. Saying goodbye before you leave turned into being the last person at the party and lounging on the couch with Darcy.

She looked around at the lack of people and said, "Right. I guess then, I should go."

Darcy took off his jacket and tossed into onto the floor beside him. "Do you want me to call you a cab?"

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm fine. It's only down the street. Well and couple more." She made walking fingers and laughed at her own joke. Why did she have that last drink?

"I'll call you a cab." He nodded assuredly.

She wagged her finger at him. "You got me too many beachy cocktails."

"You kept drinking them."

"You kept putting them in my hand. You know I drink whatever's giving me."

"That's really a bad habit."

"New Year's Resolution- don't drink all cocktails given to me by Darcy." She checked an imaginary list in the air.

"Just me?"

"Okay and everyone else. "

"Good resolution. Reach for the stars."

"That's what I'm all about, man. That's how I play the game. Anyway…I should get going."

"Well, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"Darcy, your party's over. I must go. But I can't seem to get off of your sofa. I do love it so"

"No rush."

"Darcy, remember when I told you I didn't like you?" she pulled at a ridge in the sofa, until he stilled her hand.

"Which time?"

"At the hotel in the elevator. Well, I take back. I like you."

Darcy laughed a little. "I thought you were just joking."

"Does that even sound like a joke?" Elizabeth shook her head at him.

Darcy just shrugged.

"I'm sorry I said that, though. I had had too many drinks."

"Like tonight."

"Just like tonight."

"You're a lightwieght. I think that's your real problem."

"That's _your_ real problem."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Sorry. I'm a little intoxicated," she hiccupped.

"A little?"

"Hmm." She shrugged noncommittally.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to see my house?"

She looked around, "I just did. And I can do it again." She looked around again and laughed. A serious thought ran through her mind. "Oh, no, you're not tricking me into your bed."

"I'm not going to trick you into bed. Girl's minds jump from an innocent invitation to a lusty plea in an instant," He stretched back, putting his feet on the coffee table.

"Hey. It was a reasonable assumption. I've fallen for that line too many times."

"How many times?"

"Um, I have alcohol in my bloodstream right now, not truth serum." She folded her legs under her and rubbed her hands over her bare arms.

He handed her the throw on the back of the couch, "My house is in Valley Forge."

She draped it over herself and leaned further into the couch, closer to him and his clean smell and his friendly smile and his very soft looking hair. In a far away manner, she knew what she was doing, but her mind was fuzzy and all she wanted to be was comfortable, "Thanks. Like the Revolutionary War? You know Washington camped there for a winter."

"I know. Anyway, I just bought a house out there."

"Don't you like this house?"

"Yeah, but I like being outside. With trees and grass and crickets," he sighed, thinking about it, "I'll just have a place in the city and the country."

"Crickets?" Elizabeth wrinkled her nose.

"I like crickets."

"But you have the park," she pointed out.

"_My_ own trees and grass and crickets."

She yawned, "That sounds nice."

"It is. You should come on Saturday"

"Sure," she gave him a lazy smile.

"Really?" Darcy asked eagerly, but then shook his head and sank further into the couch.

Elizabeth laughed at him, "Hey, man, at least play it cool."

Darcy coughed, "Well, I mean, it might be difficult to get you down there. And actually I invited Paris Hilton, too, if that's okay. We might need some alone time."

"Now you're making me feel like crap, Darcy."

He shrugged, "I was only playing it cool."

Elizabeth laughed, "You have no idea what that means. Darcy, you're young, hot shipping heir. Where are your social skills?

Darcy shrugged again. He was a big fan of shrugging, but who wasn't? "I guess I've never needed many. Being a young, hot heir usually brings the girls gagging for it. No personality needed it."

"Gagging for it?"

"I've been hanging around Felix too much."

"Apparently." There a silence.

"Do you want to watch tv or something?"

"No, I've got to go home. For real this time." She leaned back into the couch.

"For real" he repeated lightly, kicking off his shoes.

He closed his eyes for moment and they were quiet. "Do you really think I'm hot?" his eyes still closed.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at him. His greek skin, his mussed, wavy hair, his straight nose, the stuble that traced his strong jaw. Elizabeth shook her head yes, but then realized his eyes were still closed. She stretched her own legs onto the table. "You know you're alright."

He looked at her now, "Alright? Just alright?"

She shrugged.

"You don't think I'm good looking, do you?"

"Uh, Darcy you just told me that girls are gagging for you. What does it matter what some teacher from Philly thinks?"

"You…well, you…." He searched for the words, "Your opinions, I mean your good opinion is hard to obtain. It makes me want to earn it. I wish you could see how much I admire you."

Elizabeth blushed, understanding the compliment, understanding for a second how he really did feel toward her. Understanding what she could feel for him. She leaned over and he looked at her, trying to understand her. He would be trying to understand her for the rest of his life. She put her hand on his rough cheek, going by instinct, by her heart, and kissed him on the mouth. And then moved away. Closer to him. She laughed slightly, "Honestly, I've never been attracted to anyone as much as you in my whole life. But that could just be the booze talking."

He looked at her thoughtfully. "It probably is the booze talking," he said finally.

"I need to go. I'm really going to go this time."

"I'll walk you out."

"Well, just don't trip me."

He laughed and she relaxed. "What does that mean?" He asked.

"I'm just covering the basics."

They stood up and he walked her out, like he said, to the street. It was crisp and cold. It was late. It felt spooky outside with the moon and the rustle of dead leaves above on the trees and the ground. There was a cab parked on the side and she was glad not to be walking home.

"How convenient," she murmured.

"I called it for you the first time you told me you going to go."

"Oh."

He opened the door for her and she smiled and thanked him.

"Saturday?" He asked coolly, rocking on his heels and in his pockets. She nodded and he hand the cab driver a twenty, in spite of her protests and walked away to his blue door.

She didn't know what had made her kiss him, the sudden urge had been so powerful she followed it. She didn't regret it, but she didn't know if she wanted Darcy to think what he thought it meant. Not yet.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Guess what? It's definitely snowing outside. Yup, it's September and it's snowing outside. I'm dying. I think it's time for a road trip to Cali. Anyway, I hope this chapter is to your liking. It was a difficult one to write. So review even if just to let me know you read it!


	17. What Do You Love?

"_Elizabeth had never been more at a loss to make her feelings appear what they were not. It was necessary to laugh, when she would rather have cried." (ch. 57)_

Chapter 17- What Do You Love?

"How much are you loving me right now?" Elizabeth smiled, mimicking a smashing serve with her racket. Charlie and Jane had accompanied them on their Pemberley excursion and they were now playing a friendly game of doubles. Darcy had even made them change into tennis whites, which conveniently he had for all of them, claiming a good host was always prepared. Oh, yes, and Pemberley was the name of his house and he did name all of his houses. Elizabeth found this to be a very a romantic notion and promptly began brainstorming names for her future houses. She was mulling over Willoughby presently.

Darcy rolled his eyes at her, shielding his eyes with his hands from the sun. "Congrats, but you've made one point. You're dying for me if points count for love. I've made, like, four of those.

"Hey, those are basic points, I got the ball in our court. One more and we win! Man, it's all me." She did a small curtsy, holding the edges of her tennis skirt.

"So, this why you don't play a lot? No one will play with you." He said knowingly, laughing, referring to her dismay when she had first learned they wanted to play tennis.

"I'm just here for the glory. All for the glory." Elizabeth put out her hands, as a performer relishing applause.

"Lizzy, come on and serve already." Jane called out from the other side

Darcy turned from the net. "Don't mess up, Lizzy," he said a low tone.

"Don't bother me , Darcy. I need to concentrate. Thanks." She smirked at him and he waved her on. She twisted the racket with her wrist and then took it into her right hand, crouching a little before tossing the yellow ball in the air and springing to smack right in the center. The ball sailed a high and Charlie backed up towards the edge of the court until it flew over his head. Out of bounds.

"Elizabeth!" Darcy jogged over to the right corner to her. "You said you had it! You trash talker." He swung his racket at hers.

"Hey." She hit him lightly on the shoulder with hers. "You were distracting me."

"Oh no. No way."

"I told you not to talk to me."

"Come on, Lizzy, you've got one more." Jane shouted again.

"Maybe I should take over. I'm more then capable, as you've seen."

"That's against the rules. I don't cheat, Roddick."

He moved over to the left side, by the net, racket ready, knees slightly bent. Man, he has nice calves,' she noticed. 'What does he does he do to get those muscles? It can't be only tennis. Probably running or goes the gym. But is he really the kind of guy to lift weights? Frick, he probably has his own gym. Maybe he plays rugby or soccer on a weekend team. That's cute. That's way cute.'

Suddenly he facing her again, "Lizzy, we want to get out of here before Christmas."

"Darcy, we want you to let me serve a game point."

"Be my guest, dear." He turned back toward the net.

"Okay." This time she shot a serious lob just to Charlie's right and it bounced right by his out stretched racket.

"My bad. Sorry. I should have had that," Jane frowned.

"No worries, sweetheart."

"Yeah, Jane no worries, it was totally Charlie's anyway," Elizabeth called out.

Charlie gave her an exaggerated shocked expression, "No you didn't."

"Umm, I think I just did." She crossed the half court to stand at the net, next to Darcy.

"Elizabeth!" Darcy smiled at her, "Way to be. Atta girl," he swung his racket by her bottom.

"Darcy! Mind your propriety."

Darcy coughed and looked serious. "Excuse my behavior, madam. It has been most untoward and the direct result of my exuberance of our victory."

"You are forgiven, sir." She held out her hand. But he only looked at it with a cheeky grin. Elizabeth gave him a look of mock dismay. "You are no gentleman."

"I am only-"

"You guys ready to eat. We're starving," Charlie interrupted.

"You guys are always starving. Has anyone else noticed that?" Elizabeth looked at Darcy, apparently anyone else.

Darcy raised his hand halfway. "I know I have."

"We can't help our healthy appetites. Charlie's a growing boy."

"Don't worry, son, one day you will be a man," Darcy quipped.

"Isn't that a song?" Elizabeth frowned.

"You are insanely perceptive."

Jane tapped the net with her racket. "Let's go eat. Are you cooking, Darcy?"

"Ha."

……………………………………………………

Pemberley was more of a sprawling estate than a country house. It was surrounded by trees, big old trees and wild, English gardens with stone benches gravel paths. There was the grass tennis court and the pool made of natural boulders and smooth Mexican tile. There were crickets and trees and grass. Farther from the house were woods and hills and a big pond with geese and swan. There was even stable with horses. It was a greeting card.

The inside of his house was large, but somehow cozy and warm, with a million rooms. It had been an old colonial farm and had been built onto over the years. But the center of the house was all original, Darcy explained. He also said that there were some secret passages, some leading to the stables, some just tunneling from random room to random room.

She wanted to run around and explore, but restrained herself.

"Let's just go into the breakfast room. Are you guys okay with sandwiches? I'll have Maria make some up," Darcy said, ever the gracious host.

He left into the kitchen, pressing a button on the intercom. He spokes Spanish in a soft voice and laughed a couple times.

Elizabeth stood in the doorway, pretending not to listen, waiting for him while Jane and Charlie went to look out the ceiling to floor windows in the breakfast room.

He came behind her. "Elizabeth, you waited for me?"

"I was just wondering why couldn't have made us the sandwiches yourself," She said with no bite at all. She was all joke and smile.

"That's funny, because I was just wondering why you didn't offer to make the sandwiches."

"Oooh, you got me."

…………………………………………………………

Soon they were sitting contently eating sandwiches, joking here and there together with everyone. When conversation broke off, Elizabeth was happy to look out at the sun that was slowly falling and the golden light cast onto the red dogwood trees. She looked up and noticed Darcy leaning back in his chair, studying her. In the past, this had made her uncomfortable and defensive. Now, she was sat back herself and smiled happily. She was so happy at Pemberley. But, really, it was a gorgeous day.

Jane spoke up, "Anyway, lovely day Darcy."

"Quite perfect," Elizabeth smiled at him and he smiled back, as if in a secret game.

"It really did turn out to be a lot warmer then the whole month." Darcy agreed.

"I love how a week of forty degrees can turn the low sixties into a heat wave,"

Charlie laughed.

"I love being outside in the fall," Elizabeth sighed.

"I love eating lunch in the breakfast room," Jane murmured.

They turned to Darcy expectantly.

"What?"

"We've all said what we love. Your turn. What do you love?" Jane inquired, with a little goofy smile.

"Oh, I. I love…I love Elizabeth's winning serve."

"That's right." Elizabeth said as cocky as possible.

Darcy suddenly straightened up, pushing his chair back. "Hey, what time is it?"

Charlie shrugged. "Like five something."

"We have to go. To this place, it's not really far from here."

"Can't we just relax, Darcy?" Elizabeth whined.

"Relax? We've been relaxing all day."

"I have tennis elbow," she pointed to her elbow.

Darcy shook his head. "Once we get there, I promise it will be relaxing. Please, Elizabeth. Please, Please."

"Darcy, I'm not finished eating."

"Come on, Lizzy. Be my girl."

"Argh. Okay."

Darcy stood up, grinning. "What about you guys? I promise something truly beautiful."

"Er, actually, we can't. We have tickets for this thing," Jane apologized.

Charlie made a face, "A ballet."

"Oh, Charlie, a ballet. What a guy." Darcy commented.

Jane shook her head, "He is definitely a guy. I mean he's being a guy about it."

"Don't put me into sterotypes. I just see myself…falling asleep," he said finished finally, making everyone laugh.

"He won't," Jane shook her head at him, adding, "You baby," sweetly.

"Anyway, we're seeing La Belle au Bois Dormant," he pronounced the words slowly, butchering each syllable.

Jane rubbed his arm, but Elizabeth could see the laugh that was threatening her. "Sleeping Beauty."

"That wasn't that bad," Darcy added.

"You've seen it?" Charlie looked incredulous.

"I'm a man of the world. What can I say?" Darcy replied casually. Elizabeth caught his eye and gave him a small, almost secret smile.

Jane stood up, looking at Elizabeth pointedly, jerking her head.

"What, Jane?" she asked, clueless.

Jane shook her head and huffed, "Elizabeth and I need to…use the bathroom."

"Together?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, Charlie, together" she answered him impatiently, grabbing Elizabeth by the elbow and steered her into a formal dining room with a table that stretched end to end.

"What's going on with you guys?" She was grinning and Elizabeth knew too well who 'you guys' were referring.

"You can't even wait until we get home. Unbelievable."

Jane leaned against the table, waiting for information. "So what? Are you guys in love?"

"No," Elizabeth shook her head, "We're just friends."

"Maybe I'd believe that if I was Helen Keller."

"Jane, come on. We're just getting on well, now. We've sorted things out. And he's turned out to be a really nice guy, you know. Funny and sweet and well, you know him," Elizabeth tried not to smile, but she did.

"Lizzy, you like him."

Elizabeth blushed and looked away. "I don't know, maybe."

"Well, don't wait too long. You've messed him up far enough."

Her neck sprung up and she looked Jane in the eye. "I haven't messed him up"

"Charlie said he was in bad shape when you turned him down."

Elizabeth snorted, "Well, I can't imagine why. One girl in his whole life says no and he gets all bent out of shape about it."

"Lizzy, be kind and stop being defensive. Let's just say he really…well, he adores you."

She was embarrassed again. "I don't know about that."

"He does," She assured her sincerely. The game was turning into something more serious. She changed the subject.

"I can't believe you guys are leaving."

Jane nudged her on the shoulder. "Oh, I think you're a little more than glad have alone time with Darcy."

"No I'm not," but she blushed.

……………………………………………………..

Jane and Charlie left soon after their little talk and suddenly they were alone. Alone on purpose, which was a first. Elizabeth looked at Darcy and could tell he was thinking the same thing, but he only shrugged at her and went back into the house. He back into a deep closet and pulled out an ivory knit hat and scarf. "My cousin left these here," he said, handing them to her. She put them on obediently. Then they set off to the forest in the back of the house. The dark forest. The thing about sunset is that it usually doesn't let any of it's weak light seep in through trees. Very weak light, Elizabeth noted, squinting around. She tried listening for any noises out of the ordinary, but was finding it difficult. The trees were still clad with wrinkled leaves as was the ground. All she could here was the crush of crunchy death under her feet. This reminded her of the Blair Witch Project, which reminded her of a book she read about ghosts of the Civil War, which reminded her that she was terrified of ghosts of the Civil War. She jogged to catch up to Darcy's long strides, bumping into him slightly.

"Is everything okay?" he asked with a smirk.

"Are these woods haunted?"

He laughed.

"It's not funny. Pennsylvania is one of the most haunted states."

"Who told you that?"

"I read it! Did you know that the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought here? Do you know how many people have been killed here? Indians, soldiers from two wars, settlers. All seeking revenge," She finished dramatically.

"Why would they want to take revenge on us?"

"Because we're living and they're not! It's all in this book I read."

Darcy slowed down. "For a smart girl, Lizzy, you're being kind of silly right now."

"Like you're not scared of anything? I'm sure you totally fearless."

"Correct."

She stumbled on a root, but Darcy caught her elbow. "I don't believe you. If you believe you, you're lying to yourself."

"If I am afraid of anything, it's something that could actually hurt me then."

"Like what?"

He took a long moment to answer, finally deciding, "Losing. Losing things that matter." He studied her for a second, "But don't worry, I'll protect from the ghosts of Valley Forge."

They didn't speak for a couple of long minutes until Elizabeth became frustrated that she didn't know where they were going. There was no path and Darcy seemed to be taking random turns.

"Darcy, are we almost there yet?"

"This is an easy ten minute walk. I thought you had more stamina, Lizzy."

The comment made her blush, which made her blush more because she blushed.

"Anyway, it's very worth it. Trust me."

"Oh, I trust you. I just hope you don't mind when you have to carry me back when my knees give out."

"If your legs give out, I'm committing you to a nursing home. Now this is it." They came to a clearing on a hill. The sun slipping down the horizon, casting a juicy light on everything. The colors of the sky mixed and twined with salmon clouds darkening behind them.

She turned to him, feeling quiet now. "This is beautiful."

"No nursing home needed?"

She shook her head. "Not right now."

He sat down and she followed, but then she stretched out on the grass. He looked

at her and laughed, but lied down beside her. They watched the colors brighten and fade,

making occasional jokes but mostly just soaking the moment that was there, with each

other.

They stayed on the hillside until the sun was behind them. The sky became an eerie glow of inky lavender and grey blue. The leaves of the now black trees that surrounded them, draped low branches and rustled with the slight breeze. The soft light that was left surrounded them. His green sweater acquired a luminosity and against his skin he looked to possess something ethereal. It was hazy and crickets sang a lazy tune that repeated and stopped, repeated and stopped.

"Do you feel different?" She asked slowly, softly. She felt as if something changed for her, but if it was merely temporary based on the hazy air or him, something permanent she was unable to decipher.

He lay back down on the ground next to her, looking still at the mauve sky, bats occasionally flying overhead, their black silhouettes flying erratically.

"Just right now?" He whispered back.

"I don't know."

He looked at her, her skin soft against the dark grass, and all he said was, "Hmm," a cross between a hum and a murmur. She answered to him the same and they lay there together. There was an intimacy in sharing the land the way it was right then and knowing that he understood what she saw. She understood what he saw. Slowly it got darker and she struggled to see the exact outline of her hands.

"We better go," Darcy murmured and stood up. He bent down giving her his hand and she took it. Both mildly surprised at her actions, but too relaxed to appear so.

They walked out of the woods in silence, but for the first time she wasn't fumbling around for words. She was tempted to take his hand swinging by his side, but was frightened by the idea, the reciprocations of doing something that seemed so simple. She walked closer to him and he slowed his pace a little. "This has been a good day."

She nodded and her head cleared suddenly, her fears sinking away and she took his hand gently. He stopped at first but then kept walking, lacing their fingers together.

………………………………………..

When they reached the house she let go of his hand and looked up at him. He sighed, almost dejectedly. Elizabeth couldn't understand why he seemed so defeated suddenly.

"You still have grass all over you. Let me…" He dusted at her shoulders and arms, smoothing out the fabric, his hands becoming more gentle and tender until dusts turned into caresses and his hands found her waist and back and her hips. She found herself frozen. Memorized by the movement of his fingers; the way he seemed to surrender and soften himself. She knew she should step back, laugh it off, find the car, go home, never speak to him again. She knew this, but she couldn't do this. Those actions didn't seem to be as natural or as familiar as standing in front of him, near him, following his lead. He moved barely, but he was closer, bending. Stooping for her. She tilted to read him and he titled down, looking towards her lips. All she could do was look towards the ground. "I can't, Elizabeth. I'm trying so hard," he murmured. She had to look at him again and his lips came upon hers, lightly, brushing together. She put a hand on his chest and stepped back, her eyes to the ground. "Let's not, Darcy," she said gently.

"And say we did," he bit back.

"Don't do that," she said in desperate-sort of scolding tone. She was losing control of a situation she wasn't even sure she wanted to lose.

He stepped back harshly, looking her over. "I can't help it, Elizabeth. I feel like I'm being made a fool by you." He let out a long breath and softened. "You're too generous to trifle with me. Do you still feel the same as you felt this summer?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?" He took a step closer.

"I'm just not sure yet," She answered back, exasperated.

"Is anyone ever sure in the beginning? Are you always sure?" She could hear the edge of frustration in his voice.

She took a moment to answer him. For him and for her to collect themselves. "For

this, I have to be."

Darcy nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn't speak and instead seemed to look over head, staring at the horizon or some lonely star. She wanted to tell him to look at her and tell her what she was feeling, doing was fine. Finally his eyes came down to her face. "Okay," he nodded slowly, "I can understand."

Elizabeth mirrored his actions, rocking awkwardly. "Friends, then?"

"Of course. We're friends." A death sentence hung in the air.

He turned and took long strides across the brick path that led to the massive front door to pass over the gravel driveway to a large stable-looking garage. He looked back at her still looking at him but not moving and jerked his head for her to follow. She jogged over to see him punching in a long code into a key pad.

"The car's over here." He said softly.

The door opened where there were five cars. Of course he had five cars, who

doesn't have five cars for themselves?

"Oh, right. Which one?"

"Er, which one do you want to take?"

"Are you serious? I don't know I guess this one is good." She picked a black two seater and shrugged," I don't know a lot about cars."

"Pick another. This one is out of gas."

"Oh! This one. The hybrid."

He nodded, going over to pick out the keys on the wall. "Good choice. Green."

………………………………………………………………………

In the car, they didn't speak for awhile. But then something came to Elizabeth, something almost random and before she could decide against asking him, she asked. "Darcy," he glanced over at her as she paused, "Have you ever read Little Women?"

He furrowed, "Little Women? No, I don't think so…Wait, I've seen the movie. With Wynnona Ryder? My mother used to watch it."

She nodded, but she had nothing to follow up with it. She felt she just wanted to ask.

He looked over at her again, a little longer, and then turned back to the road.

"I had a little thing for Jo. I always," he stopped, "you're going to make fun of me."

"No, I won't. I swear."

"You swear?" He looked over at her in earnest, but smiled slightly.

"Sure."

"Well, I always liked the idea of the German professor and Jo. Or something," he was embarrassed to actually say this out loud, "But you know, their quiet life and when they talked about her writing or his. I mean, they respected each other a great deal and they didn't need to have anything else. Just their mutual respect and love," he paused, "I think that's important, maybe one of the most important things in- a marriage. Admiration for your partner…to relish in their own triumphs and qualities and for them to do the same." He glanced over at her, feeling awkward, "Anyway…" He trailed off.

Elizabeth only could respond, "I know."

And in the end, he drove her back to her apartment, kissed her lightly on the cheek and let her go home.

It took Elizabeth a long time to fall asleep that night. She kept running over the day in her mind. What they had said, how they said it, especially what he had said, whatever had led to the point where they were walking back to the car. She kept remembering how he had looked in that green sweater, how his hair fell across his forehead and the way the weird light at the end of the day darkened his eyes until they had light in them themselves.

She tried to shake the strange, soft mood she was in. She told herself to stop romanticizing Darcy. Or his house. Or anything connected to him. But he seemed so different and she so felt different towards him, towards everything.

She finally fell asleep, thinking of his hand gliding over hers, interlacing their fingers.

…………………………………

Fabulous, fabulous, heart-warming reviews. Thanks! This chapter needs some more tweaking, as they usually do when I first upload them, but I just got to the point where I can't do it until it's up. Do you know what I mean? Anyway, er, I hope I didn't let you guys down with this installment. It seems to get more challenging as Darcy actually gets a personality. So review and give me feedback on him, or Elizabeth, or the writing. I've been reading some Dave Eggers, not to say this is all like Eggers, but it might have influenced some of my descriptions. Okay, great, Thanks.


	18. Pink Packages

"_It was painful, exceedingly painful, to know that they were under obligations to a person who could never receive a return."_

Chapter 18- All Tied Up In Pink Packages

In Elizabeth's case three days, maybe four (depending how much she liked the guy) was the limit to how many days a guy could not call. After that she was off limits. It was about saving some self respect. A sort of self-preservation thing. Five days later Darcy still hadn't called. But they were just friends, right? She had made sure of that. She wouldn't get upset if Jane didn't call her for a few days, so she shouldn't be anxious about Darcy. Who, to his credit, was an undeniably busy person. He probably was out of town. Anyway, they were just friends, after all. Right? That's what she had told him she wanted right now. She needed to take it slow. She didn't want to get her heart broken again. Anyway, was Darcy really going to stick around after a couple weeks? After they slept together? Who was she? She was nobody. She didn't even know what he saw in her. Oh man, he was probably messing with her. But he seemed so sincere. And she was pretty and funny and smart. And they would be great together. Well, she wasn't _that_ pretty. She couldn't even image the girls he had been with before. They were most likely perfect feminine ideals. A bunch of Giseles and Heidi Klums. Okay, that's it. She really hated him. That was the safe way to go. Elizabeth let out a loud groan and the portly middle aged history teacher sitting across from her in the teachers' lounge turned from his _People_ to look at her.

She gave him apologetic look. "Sorry. I'm just going out of my mind here."

He nodded, understanding, because he believed everyone was going out of their mind.

……………………………………….

Right when she walked in the door, she heard it. "One love. Let's get together and be alright." Her phone! She ran around, looking under pillows on the couch, the floor, the chairs, the coffee table. They liked a lot of pillows around. She found it under the couch. Jeez.

"Elizabeth Bennett?" A woman asked before she even said hello.

"Er…This is she?" She answered, deflated. Stupid, Darcy.

"Ms. Bennett. We have been trying to reach all afternoon. We're very pleased you picked up."

She looked at her phone. Yup, six missed calls. "Who is this?"

"Excuse me. This is Mr. Darcy's secretary. He is expecting your call."

"My call?"

"Well, for me to page you through. One moment please."

There was a silence and Elizabeth's stomach fluttered. 'Oh, give me a break,' she told herself and tried to feel normal.

"Elizabeth?" He asked with that warm voice.

She stood up, off the couch. She had to move. "Hey, Darcy. What's up?"

"Er, nothing. Working. Sorry about Jill. It's just easier to have someone else call every hour on the hour than yourself." He laughed. How did he seem so cool about everything all of sudden?

"Oh, sorry. I forgot my phone at home." She was pacing now.

"No problem. Feel free to forget your phone whenever you wish."

Elizabeth laughed nervously. 'Get a grip! Be normal' Breathe!' This is the best advice she could give herself at the moment.

"Lizzy," his voiced changed slightly. Was he nervous? "I know we're just friends, but friends can have dinner together, right?"

"Sure. Friends eat all the time," she joked, badly.

But he laughed, "Right. Well…do you want to have dinner tonight? I know it's short notice…I've just been…well, honestly, I've just been working up the nerve. I've," he lowered his voice and Elizabeth could see him looking toward the door of his office anxiously, "I've missed you, Lizzy," he sighed loudly, almost a groan, "In a friends way- I mean.

"No, no. I've been waiting for you to call," She blurted. Why could she not control her mouth?

"You have?" She could hear the smile in his voice, his confidence rising.

"Well, I just thought you would." She let out a long breath.

"Can you hold on a second?" he asked. She nodded, silently and listened to him give instructions to his secretary. She wondered if Jill was cute. Then she heard him clear his throat. "So, dinner?"

"Right." She couldn't believe how breezy she sounded when her heart was drumming so rapidly.

"How's eight?"

"Eight?"

"Is that a bad time?"

"No. No, it's fine."

"Do you prefer another time?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No eight's good. I'm just use to eating dinner at four thirty." She scolded her self silently, 'So I basically just told him I have no life and the eating habits of my grandmother.' When she was talking to him, things just poured out of her. The censor in her brain became non-existent.

"Lizzy, are you joking? Four thirty?"

"Shut up! I get hungry."

"So eat a snack."

"Why should I when I can just eat dinner and get it out of the way?"

"Get it out of the way? Obviously you're not eating very good dinners."

"Uh, Lean Cuisine is a very good dinner. It's lean and cuisine."

"Well, you're going to have to stick it out until at least seven thirty. I can't get go until then."

"No, eight's fine. I'll eat a snack."

His voiced changed to something more solid and commanding, "No, no. Not that. The other one. Yes, that's it."

"What?"

"Oh, sorry. Just picking some contracts out." He laughed, but Elizabeth missed the joke. He stopped and cleared his throat, "Anyway, I have to go and get some work done so I won't be late."

"Right don't be late. But I can't guarantee I won't be."

"You do have a pretty significant track record of that. I'll come pick you up. That way you won't be late."

"You don't have to pick me up."

"No, let's do that. It will be better for the both of us."

"Fine. We can do that."

…………………………………………

Dinner proved to be ample for debate and Elizabeth and Darcy found themselves, very unromantically, arguing politics. Sparked by Darcy's innocent joke about welfare is no fair. They were in the middle of it, before they had even realized it had begun.

"You can't tell me you truly believe that?" Elizabeth cried to Darcy's defense of his views, "That whole argument you just gave, I'm sorry, but is a big conservative joke. It's the lie they been telling us for years. People who make the money keep the money." She pushed his hand away, held up in protest.

Darcy rolled his eyes, leaning forward. "And your solution is? Oh right, perfectly realistic. I can't believe we haven't jumped on the European bandwagon sooner, since socialization seems to be giving the masses all their hopes and dreams in big pink packages over there," He lowered his voice, remembering where they were, "It's a little girl's fantasy, Elizabeth. Power corrupts and I prefer to keep as much power away from the government." She hated everything he was saying right now. She disagreed with every thought that he was having at the moment. But there was something about his lips right now and the way the middle of his forehead creased when he disagreed with her. His eyes were bright, he was enjoying this.

"Puh, and keep it in the hands of big business because that's definitely who I want running the country. The multi-billionaires trying to save that extra million with the sucky health plan."

Darcy made a face. "My employees all have great health care," he murmured.

But Elizabeth only laughed at him, leaning forward on her elbows. "Right, Darcy. I'm the Queen of England." She pushed away a thought of him in a different kind of passion, kissing her, pushing her against the wall.

He brushed her exposed forearm with his fingertips and quickly pulled away, speaking again. "Great. Nice to meet you, because any of Darcy Corp's employees will tell you they got all the edgy new tests and medicinal marijuana they wanted."

"Okay, fine, but that's one company." She swooped her hand out, knocking over her water glass. "Oh, man," she said softly, moving her plate and pushing the ice back into her glass. Darcy reached over to pat the table cloth with his napkin. But he quickly gave up. "Maybe we should just get a new table."

Elizabeth looked around. "Won't they be annoyed?"

"Nah. They love me here."

Soon they were situated in at dry table, their dinners out before them and water set a little farther than grasp.

Elizabeth caught Darcy looking at her with a smirk on his face.

"What? What are you looking at?"

"I was just thinking that you talk like your students."

"I do not. Otherwise I'd say, 'Why don't you come and chill at my crib, dude? But I won't say that."

"You won't?" Looking oddly hopeful. Elizabeth inwardly sighed at her commentary. 'Okay, not so oddly. Be honest, Elizabeth'.

She shook her head. "No, I won't."

"Hmm. Anyway, Queen Elizabeth, who still says 'then I'm the Queen of England? Oh- and 'oh, man', you say that a lot. That's my favorite."

Elizabeth scowled good-naturedly. "Okay what about like-like?"

"What?"

"When you asked me if I liked-liked Felix."

"I never said like-liked. I said like. You said like-like."

"Because I knew that's what you were going to say!"

"Are you saying you can read my mind?"

Elizabeth laughed and played along, "Yes, that's what I'm trying to say.'

"Then what I am I thinking right now?"

"Ummm, you're thinking…Should I be a good guy and spring for that crème brulee for Lizzy?"

Darcy gasped, "How did you know that?"

……………………………….

In the middle of crème brulee, Lizzy phone vibrated in her purse. She glanced at her phone. Home. "Darcy, do you mind if I take this? It's the eightith time my mother has call today."

"No, no. Go ahead."

She smiled warmly at him and left to talk in the hall of the restrooms. "Mom. What's up?"

"Lizzy, it's your dad." Something distant in her told her to be worried at this. Her dad hated to use the phone.

"Dad? What's going on?"

"We're having a bit of a family emergency. Your sister's run off."

"Mary?" She remembered that she had started seeing someone.

"No, no. Lydia."

"Lydia? Where?"

"We have reason to believe New York. I told her she couldn't go to some audition for a movie or something. Supposedly she was recruited off the internet. Of course, I wouldn't let her go. Then she was throwing her usual tantrum and begging to instead to go visit Grandmother in Boston. I should have known, but I just wanted peace and quiet and I knew we shouldn't have it until Lydia went somewhere in society. So I gave her money for the train…"

"Dad, you didn't."

"She was supposed to be at Grandmother's house at 3:00 yesterday and she never showed up. Lizzy, this guy could be some kind of pervert. He found her on the internet! She's ruined. All her innocence gone. She wanted to grow up…"

"Listen, Dad, what can I do?"

"Oh, no Lizzy, I know you have school. Your uncle and I are going up to Manhattan tonight. All we have is the name of this guy. We got it off a notebook of her's."

"What's his name?"

"Teddy O'Conner."

"And you've called the police?"

"Yes, but the police can only do so much at this point. They're completely worthless."

"I'm going with you. I'll meet you at Grand Central Station."

"No, Lizzy. I don't want to worry about you running around the dark corners of the city. No stay and see if Lydia will call you. Maybe she will go to your apartment. "

"Dad-"

"Please, Lizzy…"

"Fine."

"But, Lizzy, come home this weekend. Your mother is worried sick. Maybe you will be a sane influence. She's –she's, well," there was hitch in his voice," we're all a bit worried at this point. And of course Mary's watched some show on human trafficking and won't stop talking about it. You're family needs you here, Lizzy."

"Okay," she said, trying not to let tears break.

"Bye, Lizzy."

"See ya, Dad." Then she started to cry and cry and cry. Lydia was only still a girl. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. Human trafficking. Oh Mary. But she had seen that movie on Lifetime, too. This made her cry harder. The thought of some guy taking advantage of her little sister. Making her believe she was going to be in a movie…She had to get out of the restaurant.

…………………………

Darcy stood up. "Lizzy, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Elizabeth could only shake her head, pawing at the tears that wouldn't stop with the back of her hand.

He took her elbow and led her out of the restaurant, walking closely next to her. "Is it your mom?"

She nodded yes and then no. He sat her on a bench. "Just take a breath. Tell me what happened." He rubbed her lightly on the back and then took his hand away. He gave her space.

"It's very stupid. I'm sorry. I've ruined dessert."

"Don't worry about it, that place was a dump."

Elizabeth laughed a little through her hiccupping breaths. And she loved him just then. If he had asked her, she would have told him she loved him. Instead, she told him what was happening with Lydia. "She's so y-young and so naive. No common sense, whatsoever. Like you wouldn't b-believe. I mean, she's in high school. She's just a girl. Why would she do this? And, I don't even want to think what kind of movie the audition is for. If- If it is an audition. What kind of sick guy finds girls on the internet? S-sick. I don't know what I can even do. M-my dad says to go home. For the family. My mom m-must be going crazy. She pretty much already is and now- this." She finished looking away. Realizing that Darcy was now going to find out about her crazy family. He didn't want his family tied to hers. This was the end,

But Darcy just studied her, in thought. "This is bad, Elizabeth. I'm sorry you have to go through this. When you were planning on leaving?"

She played with the hem of her skirt, overwhelmed by his pensive gaze. "Tonight. As soon as possible. I'll have to take the train. My car's- broken right now."

He stood up. "I'll drive you down. Don't worry about the train."

"No-No, I couldn't make you do that. It's an hour from here."

"What's an hour of good road? And you're not making me, I'm insisting. Come on, we'll take a taxi to my house and then we'll stop at your apartment for clothes."

She could only nod and agree now. He was very assertive when he wanted to be.

…………………………………………

She slept the whole way down and when they reached her house, Darcy got out of the car and walked her to the door. It was close to midnight, but all the lights in house were still on. When she thanked him, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder, "No really thank you."

He sighed and pulled her closer. "If you need anything- at all- just call me. You know, you can call me whenever you want."

Elizabeth nodded against him and the door flung open. Surprised, she bounced away from Darcy, knocking him on the chin with her head.

"Darcy! I'm so sorry! Did that hurt?" She was rubbing her own head, which was starting to throb.

He shook his head, holding his chin. "No, no. It's fine. But that's the last ride I'm giving you."

Kitty stepped out of the doorway. "Lizzy! You brought your boyfriend? Not really good time to meet mom." Elizabeth could hear her mother wailing in the house. 'Mary! Mary! The diet coke! I need my diet coke!'

"Kitty, this is Darcy. My _friend_."

Kitty's eyes opened wide. "Fitzwilliam Darcy? Hey, did you really date Paris Hilton? She's kind of a skank, isn't she?"

"Kitty!" Elizabeth cried.

Darcy only laughed. "Nice to meet you, Kitty. And, no I've never had the pleasure of dating Paris Hilton. Maybe one day."

"One can only hope," Lizzy murmured.

He gave her a look.

"Kitty! Kitty! Who's at the door? Is that Lizzy? I need to see her! My heart is in a thousand bits! I need my daughters around!" They listened to her mother call from the house.

Elizabeth grimaced, "I better go in. Thanks, Darcy, really." Kitty still stood in the doorway, smirking. Darcy glanced at her and nodded at Elizabeth.

"No problem. Stay in touch." He waved slightly and turned and left.

Elizabeth went inside and closed her eyes for a moment, collecting her thoughts. She felt her pocket vibrate. A text message. 'Seriously, call.' She smiled, her thoughts collected and went off to the shrieking shack that was her mother.

……………………………………………………..

Man, I really didn't know if I was going to put a whole Lydia mess in until the last minute…but I thought it was good because it's how Elizabeth really sees that Darcy intentions are true. But, here's a clue: this fic isn't going to do anything really angsty, so don't fret about if Lydia's in the city ties to a bedpost somewhere. Oh, and thanks soooooooo much for your comments and reviews. Truly great. Review some more! I mean, if you want.


	19. This is Wierd

"_The conduct of neither, if strictly examined, will be irreproachable; but since then, we have both, I hope, improved in civility."_

Chapter 19- Does Anyone Think This is Weird

"You weren't scared at all?" Kitty asked in disbelief. Elizabeth could already see envy forming in Kitty's face. Lydia had just been dragged back home with her father from a grossly dangerous situation and was already discussing it like it was a field trip.

"No, no. It was pretty awesome. I'm only doing shows in New York from now on." Lydia tossed her hair, taking a light sip of her hot chocolate.

Elizabeth couldn't let this go any farther. "Lydia, you didn't do anything in New York. Well, besides almost being sold into prostitution."

"I was not _almost_. I can handle myself. I knew what was going on the whole time." She dropped into a stool with a hand on her forehead.

"Oh, that's why you went up there then," she bit back.

"Liizzzy, I've already heard all the lectures. It's not even a big deal."

"Lydia, are you serious? Do you know what would happened if Dad wouldn't have found you?"

"Uh, I would probably be home tomorrow, with some new clothes." She rolled her eyes.

"Wrong, Lydia. You would have probably been lying naked in Central Park dead."

Lydia scrunched her face. "Stop being gross." She turned her head away from the family to look out the window.

"Stop chatting to weirdos on the internet and running away."

Her mother interrupted, "Alright, Lizzy, that's enough. We've had too much already."

Lydia whirled around, triumphant not to be in trouble, "Yeah, come on, Lizzy. And besides, this experience will help me to be better actress. Jessica Simpson said acting was about channeling your experiences."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, and she's a great actress."

"Girls," Her mother warned.

Twenty-five. I'm twenty-five. She sighed. "I'm going to take a nap. Call me for dinner."

…………………….

She wrapped herself in a quilt and fell on to the bed, but she didn't feel sleepy, just tired. She stretched quickly and before she could decide against it she grabbed the phone from off the night table.

"Elizabeth." He answered flatly.

"Darcy."

"Are you okay?" He sounded confused.

"Oh. Yeah. Everything's back to normal. Lydia is back; safe. Still clueless, though."

"Maybe that's a good thing," he murmured.

"Yeah."

There was a pause "So everything is okay then?" He was asking, but he sounded oddly distant.

"I guess. You know, I always knew my family was crazy, I just didn't know the extent until this weekend. My mother drank a liter of diet coke for each hour Lydia was gone."

"That's a lot of caffeine."

"Well, think it's was just good excuse for her to indulge. Her doctor told her coke was sucking the marrow from her bones and ever since then my dad won't let her touch the stuff." She felt like she was talking nonsense.

"Sucking the marrow from her bones?" He asked absently.

"He thinks it's making her bones less dense. It's probably true."

He murmured something off the phone and then answered her, "Coke is basically an acid."

"Yeah, but it's so good."

He laughed softly. She traced the stitching on her quilt.

"Darcy?"

"Yeah?" She could hear the faint code of typing and a sigh in his voice. He was done talking to her. She changed her mind about what she was going to say. "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep."

"Oh. Oh, okay. Talk to you later?"

"Sure." She hung up.

Well, that's the end of that, she thought. He's not interested anymore. Stupid, crazy family. Stupid Elizabeth. Stupid 'let's just be friends'. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. She curled on her side and tried to sleep, but there was certain ache in her chest and she felt bewildered at the loss that seemed to grip her. They barely knew each other, she reminded herself. Okay, she groaned to herself, reality check. He was most likely just very busy. She comforted herself with this and squeezed her eyes for a forced sleep. She would just have to deal with this predicament later.

…………………………………………….

"Thanks, Mom," Elizabeth said, sitting down at the table. She was hungry and genuinely grateful to have someone prepare a meal for her.

"It's nice to get some appreciation finally." She looked meaningfully at the girls and husband as they all grabbed a roll out of the basket.

Lydia mouthed 'suck-up' to Elizabeth and melted into giggles at her own joke. Kitty gave her a confused look.

Mrs. Bennett sighed. "It's so nice to have all of my children home again. It is a trial to be without my daughters." She buttered her roll. "Although, it would not be so quite a trial if I could see them safe and protected with a nice husband…maybe their own daughters?" She looked pointedly at Elizabeth.

Kitty snorted, "Lizzy, doesn't want to get married. She told me she's too young."

Elizabeth glared at her. She did not want to get into yet another argument about marriage with her mother.

"Nonsense. Every young girl wants to be a bride. It's a woman's job to convince a man to make them so."

Elizabeth groaned. Who are these people?

"I don't know. Lizzy might be engaged any day now. She has a secret boyfriend." Lydia said in a singsong voice.

The family turned to look at her, even her father seemed to be interested. Elizabeth shook her head fervently. "What?"

"Boyfriend! Lizzy!" Her mother grinned. "Bring him over, Lizzy. Introduce him to your family. What's all this secret business?"

She shook her head. "It's not a secret. I mean it can't be. I don't have a boyfriend."

Mrs. Bennett's face fell.

"Don't believe her, Mom. I've met him. So has Dad."

Elizabeth looked at her father. "That's not possible. I don't have a boyfriend."

"Well, Lizzy, I don't know if it was a boyfriend, but a friend that seemed to care about you a great deal. But, Lydia, we were not supposed to mention it," her father scolded, with some mischief.

"Who? Who are you guys talking about?" Elizabeth asked, frustrated beyond belief.

"A Mr. Darcy," Lydia teased.

Elizabeth's ears burned. "How do you…I mean, where did you even..?"

"He was the one who discovered me," She said in a mock whisper.

"What? How?" She looked toward her father.

"Fitzwilliam-" he started.

"Fitzwilliam? You call him Fitzwilliam? I didn't even know you knew him."

"_Fitzwilliam_," he began again, "Apparently knew a man who had some kind of connection. How he knows a man with such lowly connections seems very strange to me. So he knew this man that knew the man that Lydia was going to meet. He finds where they're supposed to be and give the sick bastard money to leave. Then he calls the police and tells them his license plate number-- among other things."

"So how did you meet him? How did he find you?"

"He called my office and got my cell phone number." He shrugged.

Elizabeth sighed. Did no one else think this was strange? "What did you think when he called you? You didn't think it was weird?" This new bit of information took Elizabeth by surprise. She wasn't entirely sure she was processing it correctly. However, she had to admit that it brightened up her mood considerably. Unless…meeting her family was the whole reason for his distance. On a five minute phone call, she reminded herself. Right, reality check.

"No. He said he was friend of yours. I was in state of crisis."

"He was super hot, Lizzy. We probably could have hooked up, but I think he really likes you."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Lydia's inane remark, but was used to it. She moved on. "Why? I mean, why do you think he likes me?" She tried to look nonchalant, using her fork to move the corn around on her plate.

"He just talked about you a lot. And asked me a lot of questions about you and stuff."

Elizabeth blushed. "I can't believe you weren't planning on mentioning this to me."

"It was a secret! He said to keep a secret!"

"He did say he would have liked it to be discreet."

"But- it's just me-"

"Well, now you know." He took a sip of wine. "Just use this information wisely."

……………………………………………….

That night, Elizabeth woke up starving. She crept down to the blackened kitchen to retrieve a remedy when she heard the TV on in the other room. Lydia was curled on the couch watching a black and white Fred Astaire movie.

"Lydia," she whispered moving to the couch.

Lydia sat of up surprised, but then relaxed when she saw Elizabeth. Her eyes were red.

"Lyd, are you crying?"

She shook her head no, but Elizabeth knew and sat on the couch next to her, wrapping her arms around her. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Lydia nodded and whispered thanks. She leaned against Elizabeth. She was so young, Elizabeth thought, in this glow of the television. Elizabeth shuddered for what could have happened and turned to watch a man tap dance on a piano.

……………………………………….

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry. It takes me forever to finally update and then I come out with this short little thing. But, rest assured I have most of the next chapter written, so it should be up in no time. Thanks for all the fab reviews. You know I always enjoy them. I can't believe it's November. The funny thing is this was only supposed to be a summer project, but I'd hate to not finish it. And then I definitely want to edit it. But probably only one more chapter and then an epilogue (which, weirdly enough, I've already written). So review, b/c these are your last chances. Tear. Haha.

BTW- What does PMS mean? I always try to figure it out but fail.


	20. Everything Cheesy Possible

"_The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do._"

Chapter 20- Everything Cheesy Possible

Elizabeth was sinking deeper and deeper. Her mind was being closed off from the world. Peace filled her and she allowed herself to slip gently away from conscious thought. She was finally doing what she had set out to do- relax.

The door swung open.

"Is Elizabeth Bennett here?" She squeezed her eyes shut, pinching her thumb and middle finger together tighter.

"Elizabeth?" He didn't raise his voice; he didn't try to get her attention. He knew he already had it.

She opened her eyes. "Darcy?"

"Really, sir," her teacher sighed as if used to this kind of thing, "we were in the middle of meditation. If you want to just wait outside for another ten minutes."

"Ten minutes!" He shook his head. "No, I can't wait."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and stood up. Whispering apologies and creeping by yoga mats. When she reached Darcy she gave him the worst look she could devise, raised her chin and walked past him into the hall.

She stood waiting with her arms folded.

He came out slowly and she waited for him to speak.

When he did, it was not what she wanted to hear.

"These incense smell nice," he said fingering a package on a shelf.

"What?"

He went on conversationally, "I always thought I didn't like the smell of incense, but these smell nice. Like Sandalwood. Maybe-"

"Darcy," Elizabeth whined. Somehow she could not scourge up any more anger and resorted to whining, "I was meditating."

"I could see that. You look good…when you're meditating." He was smiling and she realized he knew she wasn't angry. He turned to look at a display of essential oils.

"I don't even want to know how you knew I was here. I don't even want to

know-"

"Do you use these?" he interrupted holding up a bottle of jasmine.

"What? No. Well, sometimes. It reminds me of—Wait, you know what? No. We're not here to talk about essential oils. How are you here?"

"Hey, it wasn't anything creepy. I just called Jane."

"Jane. She's always selling me out. So, why did you come? Not just for incense, I hope?"

"No," he scowled. She loved it when he scowled. "No, I came here for you. Can you do me a favor?"

"It depends," she shrugged.

He took out a piece of ripped company letterhead and handed it to her. "Meet me at this address at 7 tonight."

"You already have it written out? Darcy, sometimes you can be a little creepy."

He shrugged and looked up at the Buddha smiling above to him. "Why haven't you called me?" he blurted the next moment.

"Why haven't you called me?" She countered.

"Because you never called me."

She rolled her eyes. "Because you didn't sound like you wanted me to call you."

"When?"

"On the phone- the last time I called you."

He sighed. "I was just a little busy."

"You're always a little busy."

He looked at her for moment. Almost studying. "I'm not busy now. Can you just meet me tonight? I want to see you."

She decided to just give up. It was too hard to argue with him; especially when she just wanted to…well, to just be with him. "Sure."

"Well, you better finish class, Elizabeth." He smiled at her, teasing. And turned and left.

So much for meditation.

…………………………………………………………………

"Jane, I just want to go home. This whole thing is too weird." She cradled her phone with her shoulder and ear, searching her purse for her chapstick.

"What's weird about it?"

"Uh, that I have no idea why he wants to meet at some random location after not even calling me for three days."

"Oooh, three days."

"Plus, I don't even know if I want to see him anymore. That's not true. I want to thank for Lydia. I can't believe he did all that for Lydia. Behind my back! But not in a bad way. Anyway, I just hate being tricked like this."

"Lizzy, I know English is not my first language, but I don't think this constitutes a trick. You're just nervous. I know you."

"What's to be nervous about? Oh, yeah, that I meeting him in some random spot _alone_ and it's freezing and dark and I don't even know if I'm dressed appropriately and I have no clue why he even wants to meet me. Why couldn't we have just talked on the phone like normal people and why everything with him is this complicated. Should this be this complicated? Finally! Found my chapstick."

"Lizzy, love is always complicated."

"Ha. Jane. I can admit that I like him, but I don't think love is even in the equation."

"Yet."

"Right. I have to go. I'm here."

"Have a lovely time."

"I'll try not dying first. Bye."

Elizabeth shut her phone and looked for Darcy, trying to ward off the feeling nausea in her stomach. She spotted him on the street with a long dark coat. He had small steel framed glasses on. She didn't know that he wore glasses.

"Why are we here? It's freezing, Darcy." She shivered and he pushed down the cream knit hat she was wearing over her ears, smiling.

He gestured to the theatre behind them.

She was confused. "A movie? We're going to see a movie?"

"You don't like movies?"

No, I do, but I thought…" she trailed off. She couldn't verbalize what she thought.

"What?

She colored. "Nevermind. I didn't know you went to the movies."

"Maybe there's a lot you don't know about me."

"Maybe." She shrugged as he put her mittened hand into his leather gloves. She only let him, moving with his flow and for once being okay with it.

………………………………………………………………………..

In the crowd of the dark theatre, Elizabeth could not starve off the nagging question her mind. Not even a question, really, but a thought. A need for confirmation. She looked at Darcy who seemed to be engrossed in the movie. She really never pegged him as the movie type.

"Darcy," she whispered. He turned to her and was nearer then she had thought.

Her nerves stood on end, even her wrist tingling.

"Yes?" he asked when she took too long to answer.

"I have to tell you something."

"Now?" He said incredulously, looking back at the screen.

Elizabeth scowled. Really he could be so self involved sometimes. But, she held her resolve. "I have to."

He looked at her again, dipping his head slightly so he could hear her. And her blood pulsed a little faster; something about the dark and the closeness. It was just a movie, she reminded herself. She'd been on a hundred dates to the movies. In high school she was always the girl making out in the back of the theatre. But nothing rivaled the…intimacy she felt with sitting with Darcy in dark theatre. Her muscles were taking on a jello feeling and she almost dropped her soda. She put it in the cup holder. "I know what you did." 'And that wasn't the creepiest thing to say,' she thought.

"What? What did I do?" He looked at her, confused.

"With Lydia."

Her smoothed his had over his face and then looked at her. She couldn't read his expression. He suddenly stood up and walked out of the theatre.

Confused and unsure she followed him out to the lobby and then out to the street. He sat down on a bench angled to the side. He angled himself to her. When she sat down, he spoke.

"What did I do? Who said I did anything?"

"Stop trying to be so modest. I know you're not," she laughed softly, nervously and continued, "My dad told me. He's not great a keeping secrets. My mother's rubbed off on him."

"He shouldn't have told you. It was just supposed to be nothing."

"I'm so grateful for your help. Lydia- she might have…" she trailed off, unwillingly to voice what could have been, "I feel like I owe you everything."

"No, Elizabeth," he said softly, "You don't owe me anything. I saw that I could help, so I did."

"But what you've done for my family…and, even Jane-"

"Elizabeth, it's all been for you. This whole time. Everything. It has all been for you."

Elizabeth felt a distinct surge in her chest and let out a breath that had been unknowingly caught in her throat. His gaze fell to his knotted hands. She felt everything at once. Everything she had been unwilling to examine and had pushed to the back of her thoughts came forward finally and a sudden clarity through the choke of emotion filled her. She finally knew. And she didn't have to examine it or explain it, or even wonder at it. She knew perfectly what she felt. She loved him. She loved him. They had never even dated but she knew that she loved him. The fear was gone and all that was left was the strong confidence of contentment. It felt familiar even though she knew she had never felt anything like this before.

She took his hand and he looked at her and she smiled softly. That was all it took. He knew that she knew and she knew that he knew.

"Elizabeth? You don't want to be friends anymore?"

"Darcy-" she bagan

"How come you never call me by my first name?" He asked lightly.

Elizabeth shook her head to clear it, taken back by the sudden change in mood, but answered in her usual teasing manner. "Fitzwilliam? I think that's explanatory."

Darcy frowned. "Well, you could call me William or Will, or-"

"Fitz?" Elizabeth asked brightly.

Darcy shook his head fervently. "No."

"No? Come on. Let's try it- Good morning, Fitz. How do you do, Fitz?" He was smiling at her and the same rush of love came and she had to say it. "I love you, Fitz."

Darcy smiled at her and cupped her cheek in his hand. "I love you too, Elizabeth."

She leaned back, taking his hand off her face. "But you don't think it's strange? We haven't even dated. I feel like I barely know you."

"Elizabeth-" he started.

But she shook her head. "But at the same time I feel like I do. Like I just _know_ you…and you…you know me. Isn't that strange at all to you? I mean aren't you unsure at all?"

Darcy shook his head. "At first it was surprising. But I've known longer than you. We're good together, Lizzy. You make me…more relaxed. And you point out what I need to improve on."

Elizabeth cheeks burned from the reference. "When you….well, when you tried to…"

"Ask you out."

"Right."

"I was…I was so wrong, Darcy. I'm so embarrassed what I said to you then. I misjudged everything."

"No, no. It was right, all of it. I've always been selfish. And I never thought that I wanted to change. But you made me realize. You've made me realize so much, "He frowned, "This is sounding cheesy and false, I know. But, I'm changing for you. I mean I'm trying. I mean, jeez…do you know what I'm saying. I feel so incoherent."

"You are."

"I love you, Elizabeth." He ended simply.

Elizabeth was relieved to hear him say it out loud, but was trouble by his initial response to her confession. "You didn't look very surprised when I told you I loved you."

"Did you want me to be?"

"Well, no, but-"

"It's only because I knew you would come around sooner or later. Everyone does."

She jumped off the bench. "You are so arrogant."

"And you love me." He stood up in front of her. "And I love you.

Elizabeth laughed and sighed in one thought. The story of their relationship. She stood on her toes, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, his neck. Her cheek grazing his jaw, his slight breath on her neck. His arms drifted around her back and through her hair. And it all felt so…familiar. So comfortable. Her heart was beating through her chest and she felt so peaceful.

He laughed a little, softly and moved his hand from her hair and onto the middle of her chest, on her heart. "Is okay if I say something cheesy right now?" She nodded against him. Lowering his mouth to her ear, he whispered, "I like your heart."

Tears pricked her eyes. Embarrassed, she pushed her head against his shoulder.

He took a step back with her face in his hands, "Elizabeth, it's okay. Don't be embarrassed, I won't make fun of you." She laughed and stepped closer, taking his hands in hers and letting them collapse at their sides. She kissed his jaw and the corner of his mouth. "I know."

He pulled away slightly and studied her face for a moment. When he looked at her now, she no longer felt embarrassed, but happy and loved and beautiful. He smiled slightly before kissing her fully on the mouth.

They never saw the end of the movie.

Until the next weekend. Apparently Darcy really was a big fan movies. And countdowns. And Elizabeth.

…………………………………………………………………..

AHH. I can't believe that was the last chapter. I think I might change the ending. But not until Christmas break when I have some time. What did you think? Honestly? I can't wait to edit this whole thing, honestly. So, the epilogue should be up with the week. And then over. Forever. Don't cry too hard. Haha

Oh, I'm so embarrassed because for sure I know what that kind of PMS is. I don't know what I was thinking when I asked that. I was actually referring to what someone wrote in a review. Apparently, it means Post More Soon. Which seems so obvious now. I'm clueless, sorry.


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue

She saw him stretched out on the couch in his fleece navy pajama bottoms and a white tee shirt, looking over a Greek newspaper in wire-rimmed glasses. He had a countdown on in the background and her heart swelled. My husband. She came over and sat over his legs, gingerly, careful of the papers strewn around. He put down his newspaper and grinned at her, "Mrs. Darcy."

"Mr. Darcy. How are you this morning?"

"Very well, my dear. Very well indeed."

"Anything cool happening in Greece?

"Maybe we should go outside and look."

"You know I want to," but she stretched beside him and layed her head on his chest, counting the beats. He wrapped his arm around her and breathed in deeply. She grabbed a paper off the floor, The Times and started reading, Darcy scanning it over her shoulder. After they had flipped through all the front page stories, Elizabeth put the paper back on the floor and sighed, "So we've been on our honeymoon for how many weeks now?"

He thought. "Three weeks almost"

"Is it okay to act like an old married couple? Or do you think we're headed towards divorce?"

"We don't act like an old married couple. Do you think old married couples spend a month in Greece, sunbathing nude?"

"We haven't sunbathed nude yet. You keep saying we're going to do that, but we never do. All talk, no action."

"You'll see. I have it all planned. And just because we enjoy reading the paper in the morning-"

"Even on our honeymoon in Greece-"

"Doesn't mean we're not a passionate couple."

"You're right, you're right. I totally agree."

"Good." He hugged her closer to him.

"But maybe we should consider the fact that you're in your glasses-"

"I thought you said you liked my glasses-"

"I do. I was being serious when I said 'I love it when you wear your glasses'"

Darcy nodded and she went on, "We're in our pajamas at noon. And not our cute pajamas."

"Well go put on your cute pajamas."

Elizabeth made a noise. "In a real honeymoon we have something sexy on anyway. Not cute." Darcy nodded again in agreement. "And we'd be getting ready to do something sexy, like going sunbathing…instead of reading the paper."

Darcy smiled slightly and rubbed her 'Greece is Where I Want to Bes' tee-shirt clad back affectionately. "So what would we be wearing in this fantasy-honeymoon then?"

"I don't know, like I guess I would have lingerie on." She thought for second and looked around, "Probably that lacy black thing Jane got for me."

Darcy made a face.

"What? I like that. I look good in black."

"You do, you do. But this our fantasy honeymoon and your wearing black lace? That's boring. How about the red thing I got you?"

"The teddy? No way, man, that's ugly-"

"Hey-"

"Okay, okay, it's not ugly…it's just not something I feel comfortable in. It has garters and" she dipped her voice to whisper "-no bottoms."

Darcy laughed loudly, "I know. Easy access."

"You're gross."

"Well, what about that black and pink one…with the velvet bits?

"The sheer black-"

Darcy nodded.

"With the light pick edges?"

Darcy nodded eagerly. Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Okay."

"Great. You look really good in that."

"Thanks." They smiled at each other. And then Elizabeth went on, "And no fleece for you. You have to have something more honeymoonish on too. Like-"

"Well, I would just be naked." It was Elizabeth's turn to make a face.

"What? I thought you liked my body." He looked offended.

Elizabeth reached up and moved her fingers through his hair, making it stick out the all directions of a compass rose. "I do. Just not for lounging around. How about boxer briefs?"

"Whatever"

"Will-" she shook her head. "_Darcy_," she changed and glanced at his reaction. He only rolled his eyes. She continued, "Come on. I really like your body. It's very nice." He looked at her. "No it really is. It turns me on a lot."

Darcy grumbled good-naturedly, "Okay dark grey boxer briefs."

"Perfect," she gave him a quick kiss on the mouth.

She lounged against the back of the couch and rubbed her hand over his stomach, "Very nice body," she murmured. Darcy closed his eyes and shifted a little. Elizabeth leaned over and whispered, "My old man,"

She started to get up, but Darcy pulled his arms around her, pushing his hand lightly under her tee shirt. He shifted over and she curled up next to him, his chest against her back. He wrapped his hand over hers and was still.

Darcy, she had realized, hadn't undergone such a dramatic transformation at all. He was a little more sociable, yes. And less apt to glower and scowl at everyone in his path. But when she looked back he had always been this gentle. He was confidently gentle, which allowed Elizabeth's defenses to be swayed away and she could follow his lead and be happy because she knew he would follow hers when she asked for it. It was her that had changed the most. The parts of her self that she loved had stayed and grown but the rough patches, she felt, were refined the more she was with him. She loved herself more for it and she loved him even more for that.

"You weren't calling me an old man last night," he said in a low voice with his lips next to her ear, breaking her thoughts.

Elizabeth turned to face him. Their noses almost touching. "I knew it would hurt your feelings,"

Darcy put his fingers through her hair, "Always joking,"

Elizabeth didn't answer, but closed her eyes, feeling content and warm and happy.

"But it doesn't matter because I know what you really called me last night."

Elizabeth's eyes flew open, "I was joking! I mean, I just…it was a joke. Don't repeat that ever and don't expect me to say something like that ever again."

"Wait…I'm a little fuzzy on what exactly was said. Tell me what was it you said, because I'm not sure I remember."

"Darcy- you know- come on." Her whole face was red. "This isn't fair. It was a joke. You know why I said it."

"So it was like I thought. You did call me a young, virile stallion."

"I did not say virile or young."

"But you did call me a stallion."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Lizzy, don't be embarrassed."

"I was just joking. Answering your question at dinner just a little later."

His brow furrowed, "It didn't sound like you were joking. It sounded like-"

"Come on," she whined, pulling away from him, "I don't want to talk about it. I just," she landed on the floor with a thump, the sofa proving too narrow to play around on.

"Lizzy, are you alright?"

She scrambled to get up, rather ungracefully. Darcy stepped off the couch, took her hands and lifted her up to standing, following her wrists to her arms, wrapping them around his neck and stepping to close to her. "I love you. Very, very much."

"Fitz," she said, using the name she was only allowed to use in private, or at least very quietly, when Darcy wasn't the right kind of name for the moment. "I lurve you." She stretched out the lurv and he laughed softly against her. A laugh never ruining their moments, only making them. They would laugh through their lives together, content to be with each other, to keep loving what they found with each other.

……………………………………………………………………

Jane and Bingley remained happily married. Both so content to be with each other, compromise in each argument was inevitable. They had six children and summered in the French countryside amoung lavender fields and grape-filled vineyards.

Lydia graduated high school and moved to New York. She is now Nurse Fern in the long running soap opera, All My Children. She is currently dating her costar, George Wickham. It was fate, what can I say?

Mary became a music teacher and was married young at 21 to her music tutor; much to the happiness of her mother.

And Kitty went to Harvard; much to the surprise of everyone in her family. Who knew Kitty was so smart when Lydia wasn't around?

As for our dear Darcy and Lizzy: Lizzy eventually got her PHd and decided she wanted to write short stories and teach summer school. You can see her published in Zoetrope and The New Yorker today. The Darcy's commuted between Philadelphia and Pemberley. But lived most of their lives in Pemberley with their own trees and grass and crickets and three beautiful children and complete marital bliss, punctuated only by a two week trial separation after a particularly nasty argument about global warming. Happily, however, she never made the comparison between Fidel Castro and Darcy again.

……………………………………………………………

So, that's it, then. That's everything. Hope you enjoyed it. It was cheesy enough, haha. But I know I like it, I just hope you do. Review, review, review!


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